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This paper studies the mesh characteristics and vibration responses of a gear system with crack and spalling faults using different modeling methods. These modeling methods for the time-varying mesh stiffness (TVMS) include Yang's method, Tian's method and Liang's method which can not consider the effect of the fillet foundation stiffness, Zhou's method, Wan's method, two methods proposed by Ma and finite element method which include the effect of the fillet foundation stiffness. The effects of the crack and spalling are introduced into these models to calculate the TVMS for gear pairs with faults, and TVMS are compared based on these methods. By combining the TVMS with a two-dimensional lumped mass model of a gear system, the system vibration responses are compared using these modeling methods. The comparison results show that the fillet foundation stiffness has an important influence on the TVMS and vibration responses of the gear systems. Moreover, the error of repeated calculation of the fillet foundation stiffness must be revised.