Providing a control apparatus for a vehicle having a parking lock device 50 which is placed in its released state with a hydraulic pressure generated by an oil pump 58 operated by an engine 26, which control apparatus permits reduction of a risk of unintended releasing of the parking lock device 50 upon occurrence of an operating failure of an ON-OFF switching valve 72 or a switching valve 70 of a hydraulic device 69 provided to supply the hydraulic pressure.Engine start restricting means 92 is configured to restrict starting of the engine 26 when a component of the hydraulic device 69 provided to operate the parking lock device 50 has an operating failure that causes the parking lock device 50 to be held in its released state, as compared with the starting when the component does not have the operating failure, so that the engine start restricting means 92 reduces a risk of releasing of the parking lock device 50 due to application of the hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic device 69 to the parking lock device 50, which application would be caused by the starting of the engine 26.