Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 277	$ 333	$ 347	$ 324	$ 311	$ 287
Restricted cash	2		2
Receivables, net	1,475		1,294
Inventories	882		730
Prepayments and other	325		229
Total current assets	2,961		2,602
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	0		0
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	0		0
Long-term receivables, net	9		9
Goodwill	59		57
Intangibles, net	17		19
Deferred income taxes	225		199
Other	123		103
Total other assets	433		387
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	3,967		3,548
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(2,426)		(2,191)
Plant, property and equipment, net	1,541		1,357
Total Assets	4,935		4,346	4,410
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	108		90
Short-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Accounts payable	1,601		1,501
Accrued taxes	46		39
Other	477		343
Total current liabilities	2,232		1,973
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	1,573		1,294
Long-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Deferred income taxes	6		7
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	406		412
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	4,217		3,686
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	32		40	32		41
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	647		573
Noncontrolling interests	39		47
Total equity	686		620	659
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	4,935		4,346
Reclass and Elims
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	(722)		(504)
Inventories	0		0
Prepayments and other	0		0
Total current assets	(722)		(504)
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	(2,773)		(2,420)
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	(23,550)		(22,249)
Long-term receivables, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Other	0		0
Total other assets	(26,323)		(24,669)
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Plant, property and equipment, net	0		0
Total Assets	(27,045)		(25,173)
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Short-term debt — affiliated	(549)		(354)
Accounts payable	(91)		(88)
Accrued taxes	0		0
Other	(82)		(62)
Total current liabilities	(722)		(504)
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Long-term debt — affiliated	(23,550)		(22,249)
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0		0
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	(24,272)		(22,753)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	(2,773)		(2,420)
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	(2,773)		(2,420)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	(27,045)		(25,173)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	4	4	9	0	2	2
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	619		386
Inventories	394		361
Prepayments and other	104		62
Total current assets	1,121		818
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	1,256		1,213
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	968		939
Long-term receivables, net	8		9
Goodwill	22		22
Intangibles, net	6		7
Deferred income taxes	101		47
Other	62		46
Total other assets	2,423		2,283
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	1,463		1,371
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(937)		(895)
Plant, property and equipment, net	526		476
Total Assets	4,070		3,577
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Short-term debt — affiliated	398		167
Accounts payable	594		562
Accrued taxes	45		4
Other	224		147
Total current liabilities	1,261		880
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	846		0
Long-term debt — affiliated	706		1,543
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	275		297
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	3,088		2,720
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	982		857
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	982		857
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	4,070		3,577
Nonguarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	273	329	338	324	309	285
Restricted cash	2		2
Receivables, net	1,578		1,412
Inventories	488		369
Prepayments and other	221		167
Total current assets	2,562		2,288
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	0		0
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	18,572		16,529
Long-term receivables, net	1		0
Goodwill	37		35
Intangibles, net	11		12
Deferred income taxes	36		23
Other	61		49
Total other assets	18,718		16,648
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	2,504		2,177
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(1,489)		(1,296)
Plant, property and equipment, net	1,015		881
Total Assets	22,295		19,817
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	93		75
Short-term debt — affiliated	151		187
Accounts payable	1,098		1,027
Accrued taxes	1		35
Other	326		243
Total current liabilities	1,669		1,567
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	13		12
Long-term debt — affiliated	18,614		16,466
Deferred income taxes	6		7
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	131		115
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	20,433		18,167
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	32		40
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,791		1,563
Noncontrolling interests	39		47
Total equity	1,830		1,610
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	22,295		19,817
Tenneco Inc
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	$ 0	0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	0		0
Inventories	0		0
Prepayments and other	0		0
Total current assets	0		0
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	1,517		1,207
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	4,010		4,781
Long-term receivables, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred income taxes	88		129
Other	0		8
Total other assets	5,615		6,125
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Plant, property and equipment, net	0		0
Total Assets	5,615		6,125
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	15		15
Short-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued taxes	0		0
Other	9		15
Total current liabilities	24		30
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	714		1,282
Long-term debt — affiliated	4,230		4,240
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0		0
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	4,968		5,552
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	647		573
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	647		573
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	$ 5,615		$ 6,125