Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	$ 18	$ (1)	$ 0
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	697	315
Restricted cash	5	3
Receivables, net	2,572	1,321
Inventories	2,245	820
Prepayments and other current assets	590	288
Total current assets	6,109	2,747
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,501	1,691
Investment in affiliated companies	0	0
Long-term receivables, net	10	9
Goodwill	869	49
Intangibles—net	1,519	22
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	544	2
Deferred income taxes	467	213
Other assets	213	63
Total assets	13,232	4,796
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)	153	103
Accounts payable	2,759	1,582
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	343	141
Accrued income taxes	64	27
Other	1,001	424
Total current liabilities	4,320	2,277
Long-term debt	5,340	1,358
Intercompany due to (due from)	0	0
Deferred income taxes	88	11
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	1,430	426
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	11,178	4,072
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	138	42	$ 40	$ 41
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,726	636
Noncontrolling interests	190	46
Total equity	1,916	682
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	13,232	4,796
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	0	0
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	329	7
Restricted cash		0
Receivables, net	943	208
Inventories	958	359
Prepayments and other current assets	254	99
Total current assets	2,484	673
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,131	594
Investment in affiliated companies	1,421	1,385
Long-term receivables, net	9	8
Goodwill	263	22
Intangibles—net	1,007	5
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	43	1
Deferred income taxes	255	169
Other assets	48	12
Total assets	6,661	2,869
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)	1	0
Accounts payable	858	496
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	88	24
Accrued income taxes	0	2
Other	436	208
Total current liabilities	1,383	730
Long-term debt	3	632
Intercompany due to (due from)	2,726	561
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	225	299
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	4,337	2,222
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	2,324	647
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,324	647
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	6,661	2,869
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	18	(1)
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	364	308
Restricted cash	5	3
Receivables, net	1,629	1,113
Inventories	1,287	461
Prepayments and other current assets	311	189
Total current assets	3,596	2,074
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,361	1,097
Investment in affiliated companies	0	0
Long-term receivables, net	1	1
Goodwill	383	27
Intangibles—net	510	17
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	501	1
Deferred income taxes	200	44
Other assets	180	51
Total assets	7,732	3,312
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)	152	103
Accounts payable	1,894	1,086
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	255	117
Accrued income taxes	52	25
Other	488	204
Total current liabilities	2,841	1,535
Long-term debt	32	12
Intercompany due to (due from)	(215)	(397)
Deferred income taxes	88	11
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	705	127
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	3,451	1,288
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	138	42
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	3,953	1,936
Noncontrolling interests	190	46
Total equity	4,143	1,982
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	7,732	3,312
Tenneco Inc. (Parent Company)
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	0	0
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	4	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Receivables, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepayments and other current assets	25	0
Total current assets	29	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	9	0
Investment in affiliated companies	4,856	1,198
Long-term receivables, net	0	0
Goodwill	223	0
Intangibles—net	2	0
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Deferred income taxes	12	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	5,131	1,198
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)	0	0
Accounts payable	7	0
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	27	0
Other	77	12
Total current liabilities	111	12
Long-term debt	5,305	714
Intercompany due to (due from)	(2,511)	(164)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	500	0
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	3,405	562
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,726	636
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,726	636
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	5,131	1,198
Reclass & Elims
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	0	0
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Receivables, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepayments and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliated companies	(6,277)	(2,583)
Long-term receivables, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles—net	0	0
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets	(15)	0
Total assets	(6,292)	(2,583)
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	(15)	0
Other	0	0
Total current liabilities	(15)	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany due to (due from)	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0	0
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	(15)	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	(6,277)	(2,583)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(6,277)	(2,583)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	$ (6,292)	$ (2,583)