Monotonic four-point bending tests were conducted on straight pipe specimens, 102 mm in diameter with local wall thinning, in order to investigate the effects of the depth, shape, and location of wall thinning on the deformation and failure behavior of pipes. The local wall thinning simulated natural erosion/corrosion metal loss. The deformation and fracture behavior of the straight pipes with local wall thinning was compared with that of non wall-thinning pipes. The failure modes were classifiedas local buckling, ovalization, or crack initiation, depending on the depth, shape, and location of the local wall thinning. Three-dimensional elasto-plastic analyses were carried out using the finite element method. The deformation and failure behavior, simulated by finite element analyses, coincided with the experimental results.