Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	$ 2,212	$ 2,130		$ 4,348	$ 4,153
Affiliated companies	0	0		0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	2,212	2,130	$ 2,130	4,348	4,153
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,810	1,764	1,764	3,580	3,450
Engineering, research, and development	37	38	38	76	79
Selling, general, and administrative	134	121	121	281	246
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	52	51	51	106	101
Total costs and expenses	2,033	1,974	1,974	4,043	3,876
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Other income (expense)	(1)	0	0	(2)	0
Total other income (expense)	(2)	(1)	(1)	(4)	(2)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	177	155	155	301	275
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	34	17	17	52	33
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0		0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	143	138		249	242
Income tax expense	40	47	47	74	88
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0		0	0
Net Income (loss)	103	91	91	175	154
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	17	13	13	32	27
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	86	78	$ 78	143	127
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	69	102		153	82
Reclass and Elims
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0		0	0
Affiliated companies	(324)	(248)		(641)	(499)
Net sales and operating revenues	(324)	(248)		(641)	(499)
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	(324)	(248)		(641)	(499)
Engineering, research, and development	0	0		0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	0	0		0	0
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0		0	0
Total costs and expenses	(324)	(248)		(641)	(499)
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0		0	0
Other income (expense)	(15)	(30)		(15)	(30)
Total other income (expense)	(15)	(30)		(15)	(30)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(15)	(30)		(15)	(30)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	0	0		0	0
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0		0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(15)	(30)		(15)	(30)
Income tax expense	0	0		0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	(180)	(154)		(283)	(251)
Net Income (loss)	(195)	(184)		(298)	(281)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0		0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(195)	(184)		(298)	(281)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(195)	(184)		(298)	(281)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,005	984		2,001	1,881
Affiliated companies	128	105		255	211
Net sales and operating revenues	1,133	1,089		2,256	2,092
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	945	901		1,894	1,743
Engineering, research, and development	19	20		39	41
Selling, general, and administrative	58	50		126	96
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	21	22		42	44
Total costs and expenses	1,043	993		2,101	1,924
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)		(1)	(1)
Other income (expense)	7	31		1	27
Total other income (expense)	6	30		0	26
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	96	126		155	194
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	0	(1)		0	(1)
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	(3)	20		(6)	37
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	99	107		161	158
Income tax expense	24	43		37	61
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	60	59		87	89
Net Income (loss)	135	123		211	186
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0		0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	135	123		211	186
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	135	123		211	186
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,207	1,146		2,347	2,272
Affiliated companies	196	143		386	288
Net sales and operating revenues	1,403	1,289		2,733	2,560
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,189	1,111		2,327	2,206
Engineering, research, and development	18	18		37	38
Selling, general, and administrative	75	71		154	148
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	31	29		64	57
Total costs and expenses	1,313	1,229		2,582	2,449
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0		(1)	(1)
Other income (expense)	7	(1)		12	3
Total other income (expense)	7	(1)		11	2
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	97	59		162	113
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	2	2		2	2
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	2	(21)		4	(38)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	93	78		156	149
Income tax expense	16	4		37	27
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0		0	0
Net Income (loss)	77	74		119	122
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	17	13		32	27
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	60	61		87	95
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	60	61		87	95
Tenneco Inc
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0		0	0
Affiliated companies	0			0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	0	0		0	0
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	0	0		0	0
Engineering, research, and development	0	0		0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	1	0		1	2
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0		0	0
Total costs and expenses	1	0		1	2
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0		0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0		0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0		0	0
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(1)	0		(1)	(2)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	32	16		50	32
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	1	1		2	1
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(34)	(17)		(53)	(35)
Income tax expense	0	0		0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	120	95		196	162
Net Income (loss)	86	78		143	127
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0		0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	86	78		143	127
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ 69	$ 102		$ 153	$ 82