Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	$ 2,136	$ 2,023
Affiliated companies	0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	2,136	2,023
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,770	1,686
Engineering, research, and development	39	41
Selling, general, and administrative	147	125
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	54	50
Total costs and expenses	2,010	1,902
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)
Other income (expense)	(1)	0
Total other income (expense)	(2)	(1)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	124	120
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	18	16
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	106	104
Income tax expense	34	41
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0
Net Income (loss)	72	63
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	15	14
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	57	49
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	84	(20)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	996	897
Affiliated companies	127	106
Net sales and operating revenues	1,123	1,003
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	949	842
Engineering, research, and development	20	21
Selling, general, and administrative	68	46
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	21	22
Total costs and expenses	1,058	931
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0
Other income (expense)	(6)	(4)
Total other income (expense)	(6)	(4)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	59	68
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	0	0
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	(3)	17
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	62	51
Income tax expense	13	18
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	27	30
Net Income (loss)	76	63
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	76	63
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	76	63
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,140	1,126
Affiliated companies	190	145
Net sales and operating revenues	1,330	1,271
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,138	1,095
Engineering, research, and development	19	20
Selling, general, and administrative	79	77
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	33	28
Total costs and expenses	1,269	1,220
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)
Other income (expense)	5	4
Total other income (expense)	4	3
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	65	54
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	0	0
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	2	(17)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	63	71
Income tax expense	21	23
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0
Net Income (loss)	42	48
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	15	14
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	27	34
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	27	34
Tenneco Inc
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0
Affiliated companies	0
Net sales and operating revenues	0	0
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	0	0
Engineering, research, and development	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	0	2
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0
Total costs and expenses	0	2
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	0	(2)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	18	16
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	1	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(19)	(18)
Income tax expense	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	76	67
Net Income (loss)	57	49
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	57	49
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	84	(20)
Reclass and Elims
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0
Affiliated companies	(317)	(251)
Net sales and operating revenues	(317)	(251)
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	(317)	(251)
Engineering, research, and development	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	0	0
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0
Total costs and expenses	(317)	(251)
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	0	0
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	0	0
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	(103)	(97)
Net Income (loss)	(103)	(97)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(103)	(97)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ (103)	$ (97)