A vehicle control apparatus is to be applied to a vehicle including a torque converter and an engine. The vehicle control apparatus includes a turbine hub, a lock-up piston, a damper mechanism, and a control system. The damper mechanism permits relative rotation between a hub of the turbine hub and a cylindrical part of the lock-up piston. The control system controls the engine. The control system calculates, with the lock-up piston engaged with a crankshaft of the engine, a PV value that is a product of a sliding surface pressure and a sliding speed between the hub and the cylindrical part. When the PV value is greater than a threshold, the control system changes an engine torque more gradually than when the PV value is equal to or less than the threshold. The engine torque is an output torque of the crankshaft.