Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	$ 2,317	$ 2,212	$ 4,609	$ 4,348
Affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	2,317	2,212	4,609	4,348
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,946	1,816	3,877	3,586
Engineering, research, and development	36	37	75	76
Selling, general, and administrative	253	134	401	281
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	55	52	107	106
Total costs and expenses	2,290	2,039	4,460	4,049
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Other income (expense)	1	(1)	1	(2)
Total other income (expense)	0	(2)	(1)	(4)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	27	171	148	295
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	20	34	35	52
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	7	137	113	243
Income tax (benefit) expense	(8)	39	25	73
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net income	15	98	88	170
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	18	16	32	31
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(3)	82	56	139
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	33	65	120	149
Reclass and Elims
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	(313)	(324)	(639)	(641)
Net sales and operating revenues	(313)	(324)	(639)	(641)
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	(313)	(324)	(639)	(641)
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	(313)	(324)	(639)	(641)
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	(15)	(15)	(15)	(15)
Total other income (expense)	(15)	(15)	(15)	(15)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(15)	(15)	(15)	(15)
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)	(15)	(15)	(15)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	(74)	(173)	(178)	(277)
Net income	(89)	(188)	(193)	(292)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(89)	(188)	(193)	(292)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(89)	(188)	(193)	(292)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,023	1,005	2,041	2,001
Affiliated companies	141	128	285	255
Net sales and operating revenues	1,164	1,133	2,326	2,256
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	988	946	1,982	1,896
Engineering, research, and development	19	19	39	39
Selling, general, and administrative	184	58	259	126
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	21	21	42	42
Total costs and expenses	1,212	1,044	2,322	2,103
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
Other income (expense)	8	7	0	1
Total other income (expense)	7	6	(1)	0
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(41)	95	3	153
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	3	0	3	0
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	(4)	(3)	(7)	(6)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(40)	98	7	159
Income tax (benefit) expense	3	24	11	37
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	60	57	88	85
Net income	17	131	84	207
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	17	131	84	207
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	17	131	84	207
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,294	1,207	2,568	2,347
Affiliated companies	172	196	354	386
Net sales and operating revenues	1,466	1,403	2,922	2,733
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,271	1,194	2,534	2,331
Engineering, research, and development	17	18	36	37
Selling, general, and administrative	69	75	142	154
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	34	31	65	64
Total costs and expenses	1,391	1,318	2,777	2,586
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	(1)	(1)
Other income (expense)	8	7	16	12
Total other income (expense)	8	7	15	11
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	83	92	160	158
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	2	2	2	2
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	2	2	3	4
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	79	88	155	152
Income tax (benefit) expense	(11)	15	14	36
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net income	90	73	141	116
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	18	16	32	31
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	72	57	109	85
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	72	57	109	85
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	0	1	0	1
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	0	1	0	1
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	0	(1)	0	(1)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	15	32	30	50
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	2	1	4	2
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(17)	(34)	(34)	(53)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	14	116	90	192
Net income	(3)	82	56	139
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(3)	82	56	139
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ 33	$ 65	$ 120	$ 149