Abstract: A control device for a motor vehicle has a microcontroller as well as a monitoring circuit for the microcontroller. The monitoring circuit has a clocked counter, with a reset input of counter being coupled to a diagnostic output of the microcontroller, a first counter output being coupled to a diagnostic trigger input of the microcontroller and a second counter output being coupled to a reset input of the microcontroller such that when the microcontroller functions correctly, a signal at the first counter output generates a diagnostic process of the microcontroller and a signal at the diagnostic output of the microcontroller resets the counter. However, when the microcontroller malfunctions, the counter is not reset, so that the counter continues to count and generates a signal for resetting the microcontroller at the second counter output.