A four-wheel drive vehicle drive force distribution control apparatus having a left subordinate drive wheel friction element and a right subordinate drive wheel friction element that are installed in a drive train that transmits a portion of a drive force heading toward a main drive wheel to a subordinate drive wheel and can control the drive forces delivered to the left subordinate drive wheel and the right subordinate drive wheel individually, the four-wheel drive vehicle drive force distribution control apparatus executing a control of a drive force distribution between the main drive wheels (1L, 1R) and the subordinate drive wheels (2L, 2R) and control of a drive force distribution between the left subordinate drive wheel and the right subordinate drive wheel by controlling the holding forces of the left subordinate drive wheel friction element and the right subordinate drive wheel friction element, the four-wheel drive vehicle drive force distribution control apparatus comprising: a target value setting means (32, 33) that sets, based on a vehicle operating state, a target value of a total drive force (TcLR) to be delivered to a left subordinate drive wheel and a right subordinate drive wheel and that sets a target value of a left-right drive force difference (ΔTcLR) between the drive forces of the left subordinate drive wheel and the right subordinate drive wheel; and a friction element holding force control means that controls holding forces of a left subordinate drive wheel friction element and a right subordinate drive wheel friction element such that the total drive force matches the target value for the total drive force (TcLR) set by the target value setting means (32, 33) and the left-right drive force difference matches the target value for the left-right drive force difference (ΔTcLR) set by the target value setting means (32, 33), the apparatus being characterized by further comprising: a drive force comparing means that compares the sizes of the target value of the total drive force (TcLR) and the target value of the left-right drive force difference (ΔTcLR), and wherein, during a period while the drive force comparing means determines that the target value of the left-right drive force difference (ΔTcLR) is larger than the target value of the total drive force (TcLR), the friction element holding force control means controls the holding forces of the left subordinate drive wheel friction element and the right subordinate drive wheel friction element such that priority is given to achieving the target value of the left-right drive wheel difference (ΔTcLR) over achieving the target value of the total drive force (TcLR). a target value setting means (32, 33) that sets, based on a vehicle operating state, a target value of a total drive force (TcLR) to be delivered to a left subordinate drive wheel and a right subordinate drive wheel and that sets a target value of a left-right drive force difference (ΔTcLR) between the drive forces of the left subordinate drive wheel and the right subordinate drive wheel; and a friction element holding force control means that controls holding forces of a left subordinate drive wheel friction element and a right subordinate drive wheel friction element such that the total drive force matches the target value for the total drive force (TcLR) set by the target value setting means (32, 33) and the left-right drive force difference matches the target value for the left-right drive force difference (ΔTcLR) set by the target value setting means (32, 33), the apparatus being characterized by further comprising: a drive force comparing means that compares the sizes of the target value of the total drive force (TcLR) and the target value of the left-right drive force difference (ΔTcLR), and wherein, during a period while the drive force comparing means determines that the target value of the left-right drive force difference (ΔTcLR) is larger than the target value of the total drive force (TcLR), the friction element holding force control means controls the holding forces of the left subordinate drive wheel friction element and the right subordinate drive wheel friction element such that priority is given to achieving the target value of the left-right drive wheel difference (ΔTcLR) over achieving the target value of the total drive force (TcLR). a drive force comparing means that compares the sizes of the target value of the total drive force (TcLR) and the target value of the left-right drive force difference (ΔTcLR), and wherein, during a period while the drive force comparing means determines that the target value of the left-right drive force difference (ΔTcLR) is larger than the target value of the total drive force (TcLR), the friction element holding force control means controls the holding forces of the left subordinate drive wheel friction element and the right subordinate drive wheel friction element such that priority is given to achieving the target value of the left-right drive wheel difference (ΔTcLR) over achieving the target value of the total drive force (TcLR).