A control apparatus for a vehicle drive-force transmitting apparatus including a gear mechanism and a continuously-variable transmission mechanism and defining first and second drive-force transmitting paths. When the continuously-variable transmission mechanism is in a failure state in which an actual gear ratio of the continuously-variable transmission mechanism is not the highest gear ratio as a target gear ratio, the control apparatus sets the target gear ratio to a transient target gear ratio that is gradually changed toward the highest gear ratio, for causing the actual gear ratio to be gradually changed toward the highest gear ratio. A rate of change of the transient target gear ratio is higher in a state in which a drive force is transmitted through the first drive-force transmitting path by the gear mechanism, than in a state in which the drive force is transmitted through the second drive-force transmitting path by the continuously-variable transmission mechanism.