This application discloses a service chain fault detection method and an apparatus. The method includes: obtaining, by a service forwarding entity SFE, a first fault tracing detection request packet, and then determining to communicate with a first service function SF node, where the first fault tracing detection request packet includes a path identifier ID and an address of a device for initiating fault detection, and the path ID is used to identify a path of a service chain; obtaining, by the SFE, an ID of the first SF node; and sending, by the SFE, a first fault tracing detection response packet to the device for initiating fault detection, where the first fault tracing detection response packet includes the path ID, the ID of the first SF node, and the address of the device for initiating fault detection.