In a method for loading software into a target appliance in a vehicle control system having a plurality of appliance, the loading process for one or more software modules is subdivided into task elements (at least one monitoring appliance task, one update appliance task and one receiving appliance task), and performance of the respective task elements is assigned to the target appliance, other appliances and/or to a control appliance outside the vehicle control system. The monitoring appliance task includes processing and passing on the control commands for the loading of the software module from outside the vehicle control system; the update appliance task includes controlling the loading of the software module between the target appliance, the appliances and/or the control appliance; and the receiving appliance task includes provision of an interface for the software module which is to be loaded from outside the vehicle control system.