Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	$ 2,372	$ 2,274	$ 7,483	$ 6,883
Affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	2,372	2,274	7,483	6,883
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	2,014	1,911	6,371	5,789
Engineering, research, and development	39	40	122	115
Selling, general, and administrative	141	127	450	520
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	65	58	183	165
Total costs and expenses	2,259	2,136	7,126	6,589
Other expense (income)
Loss on sale of receivables	3	2	8	4
Other income (expense)	6	2	15	8
Total other income (expense)	9	4	23	12
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	104	134	334	282
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	21	19	61	54
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	83	115	273	228
Income tax (benefit) expense	20	16	72	41
Equity in net income from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net income	63	99	201	187
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	9	16	39	48
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	54	83	162	139
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	30	114	71	234
Reclass and Elims
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	(297)	(271)	(866)	(910)
Net sales and operating revenues	(297)	(271)	(866)	(910)
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	(297)	(271)	(866)	(910)
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	(297)	(271)	(866)	(910)
Other expense (income)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	6	0	16	15
Total other income (expense)	6	0	16	15
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(6)	0	(16)	(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	(6)	0	(16)	(15)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income from affiliated companies	(106)	(126)	(324)	(304)
Net income	(112)	(126)	(340)	(319)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(112)	(126)	(340)	(319)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(112)	(120)	(340)	(313)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	990	917	3,050	2,958
Affiliated companies	145	128	402	413
Net sales and operating revenues	1,135	1,045	3,452	3,371
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	962	887	2,956	2,865
Engineering, research, and development	20	17	57	56
Selling, general, and administrative	67	50	222	301
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	30	23	74	65
Total costs and expenses	1,079	977	3,309	3,287
Other expense (income)
Loss on sale of receivables	1	1	5	2
Other income (expense)	10	12	40	24
Total other income (expense)	11	13	45	26
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	45	55	98	58
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	9	7	25	10
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	(4)	(5)	(11)	(12)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	40	53	84	60
Income tax (benefit) expense	10	(5)	9	6
Equity in net income from affiliated companies	38	31	122	119
Net income	68	89	197	173
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	68	89	197	173
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	68	89	197	173
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,382	1,357	4,433	3,925
Affiliated companies	152	143	464	497
Net sales and operating revenues	1,534	1,500	4,897	4,422
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,349	1,295	4,281	3,834
Engineering, research, and development	19	23	65	59
Selling, general, and administrative	74	77	228	219
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	35	35	109	100
Total costs and expenses	1,477	1,430	4,683	4,212
Other expense (income)
Loss on sale of receivables	2	1	3	2
Other income (expense)	(10)	(10)	(41)	(31)
Total other income (expense)	(8)	(9)	(38)	(29)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	65	79	252	239
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	2	2	7	4
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	3	0	6
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	63	74	245	229
Income tax (benefit) expense	10	21	63	35
Equity in net income from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net income	53	53	182	194
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	9	16	39	48
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	44	37	143	146
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	44	31	143	140
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	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	0	0	0	0
Other expense (income)
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	0	0	0
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	10	10	29	40
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	4	2	11	6
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(14)	(12)	(40)	(46)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income from affiliated companies	68	95	202	185
Net income	54	83	162	139
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	54	83	162	139
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ 30	$ 114	$ 71	$ 234