A vehicle control device is configured to control a vehicle. The vehicle control device is capable of deriving a required driving force required for traveling of the vehicle based on an output requirement received from a driver, and controlling a driving force of the vehicle using the required driving force as a target value. The vehicle control device is configured to transition to a second traveling mode when the required driving force increases while the vehicle is traveling in a first traveling mode. The vehicle control device is configured to perform driving force reduction control, in which an amount of increase in the required driving force accompanying an increase in the output requirement is made smaller than an amount of increase in the required driving force in a normal state, at a time of performing transition to the second traveling mode.