A hybrid vehicle capable of selecting between a state where a clutch coupling an engine and a motor is engaged and the vehicle travels by drive power of the engine, and a state where the clutch is released and the vehicle travels with the engine stopped, wherein, if there is a request to restart the engine while the engine is rotating after control to release the clutch and stop the engine has been started, then upon the condition that the engine number of revolutions is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, and in a state where the output torque of the motor is limited to a previously established torque or less, control to increase the transmission torque capacity of the clutch is implemented, whereupon the output torque of the motor is increased to a torque that cranks the engine.

The invention relates to a method for increasing the availability of a hybrid separating clutch in a hybrid drive train of a motor vehicle, wherein the hybrid separating clutch is disposed between an internal combustion engine and an electric traction drive. In the method where even in the event of a fault the motor vehicle continues to be driven, the hybrid separating clutch is controlled by a hydrostatic actuator, and when a malfunction of the hydrostatic actuator is detected, for actuation of the hybrid separating clutch which is engaged in the non-actuated state, the last state of the hydrostatic actuator detected by a control mechanism is used for estimation of a minimum clutch torque which can be transmitted.