This article investigates the problem of reliable mixed H 2 =H 1 control for discrete-time interval type-2 (IT2) fuzzy model-based systems via static output-feedback (SOF) control method. The number of fuzzy rules and the membership functions for the SOF controller are different from those for the plant. A sufficient criterion of reliable stability with mixed H 2 =H 1 performance is derived for the closed-loop system with sensor failure. The SOF controller is designed for two different cases (known sensor failure case and unknown sensor failure case) to guarantee the reliable stability with mixed H 2 =H 1 performance. Moreover, novel criteria are presented to obtain the optical H 2 performance for the closed-loop system. Finally, an example is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed design scheme. V C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 74-88, 2016