Patent ID: 8818597

Claim:
A vehicle control device including a push switch and a control unit, the push switch is disposed in a passenger compartment of a vehicle and capable of being pressed by a driver of the vehicle, and the control unit is configured to permit and inhibit a control process for controlling operation of a drive source of the vehicle, or a state of supply of electric power to a vehicle-mounted component, the vehicle control device comprising: a fault detecting unit for detecting an occurrence of a fault in the vehicle, wherein: the control unit is configured to permit the control process in response to pressing of the push switch once according to a first operating method when the occurrence of the fault is not detected by the fault detecting unit and the prescribed condition is not met; the control unit is configured to inhibit the control process in response to pressing of the push switch according to the first operating method when the occurrence of the fault is not detected by the fault detecting unit and the prescribed condition is met, and to permit the control process in response to pressing of the push switch according to a second operating method when the occurrence of the fault is not detected by the fault detecting unit and the prescribed condition is met, the second operating method requiring pressing the push switch continuously for a longer period than that of the first operating method, or pressing the push switch repeatedly a greater number of times than for the first operating method; and the control unit is configured to permit the control process in response to pressing of the push switch once according to the first operating method when the occurrence of the fault is detected by the fault detecting unit, regardless of whether or not the prescribed condition has been met.