Objective The incidence of acute renal failure, the mortality rate and the predictors of renal failure after liver transplantation was evaluated. Method 1669 Liver transplant patients in three clinical medical centers (Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, The Third Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, and Beijing YouAn Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University) between June 2005 and June 2013 were investigated. Patients were divided into the renal failure group (84 cases) and the non-renal failure group (1585 cases). The clinical characteristics of the patients, mortality and risk factors of renal failure after liver transplantation were analyzed. Results Among the 1669 liver transplantation patients, 84 patients were diagnosed acute renal failure after surgery, with an incidence of 0.24%, and 51 patients died during hospitalization, with a mortality rate of 3%. The mortality rate of the renal failure group was 42.9%(36/84), and 0.9%(15/1585) in the non-renal failure group. There was significant difference between the two groups (χ2 =473, P0.05). According to the logistic regression, preoperative complications of liver and kidney syndrome, long operation time, more blood loss, postoperative pulmonary infection, and postoperative hemostasis after the second laparotomy were risk factors for renal failure after liver transplantation. Conclusion The mortality rate of the renal failure group is significantly higher than that of the non-renal failure group. Hepatorenal syndrome preoperative, long operation time, more blood loss, Re-laparotomy for hemorrhage postperative and pulmonary infection were risk factors of acute renal failure after liver transplantation.