Provided is a method and apparatus capable of rapidly releasing an automatic steering mode and switching to a manual steering mode in which steering is performed by a driver when there is a steering input from a driver in a steering wheel, so that it is possible to prevent disturbance in a behavior of a vehicle caused by an excessive manipulation of the driver who memorizes strangeness. In the vehicle steering apparatus, a state that a driver holds the input unit of the steering input means is detected on the basis of a characteristic change caused by an increase of a mass or inertial moment in the input unit of the steering input means or a part subordinate thereto. In addition, a switching operation between the automatic steering mode and the manual steering mode is performed on the basis of a result of the holding detection.