Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 389	$ 697
Restricted cash	6	5
Receivables, net	2,753	2,572
Inventories, net	2,137	2,245
Prepayments and other current assets	603	590
Total current assets	5,888	6,109
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,491	3,501
Investment in affiliated companies	0	0
Long-term receivables, net	10	10
Goodwill	802	869
Intangibles, net	1,578	1,519
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	505	544
Deferred income taxes	570	467
Other assets	539	213
Total assets	13,383	13,232
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	161	153
Accounts payable	2,651	2,759
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	378	343
Accrued income taxes	57	64
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	1,042	1,001
Total current liabilities	4,289	4,320
Long-term debt	5,408	5,340
Intercompany due to (due from)	0	0
Deferred income taxes	104	88
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	1,606	1,430
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	11,407	11,178
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	139	138	$ 28	$ 42
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,642	1,726
Noncontrolling interests	195	190
Total equity	1,837	1,916
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	13,383	13,232
Reclass and Elims
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Receivables, net	0	0
Inventories, net	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	(6,818)	(6,277)
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	0	(15)
Total assets	(6,818)	(6,292)
Current liabilities:
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	0	(15)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	(15)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany due to (due from)	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0	0
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	0	(15)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	(6,818)	(6,277)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(6,818)	(6,277)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	(6,818)	(6,292)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	201	329
Restricted cash	0	0
Receivables, net	893	943
Inventories, net	940	958
Prepayments and other current assets	156	254
Total current assets	2,190	2,484
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,148	1,131
Investment in affiliated companies	1,615	1,421
Long-term receivables, net	9	9
Goodwill	497	263
Intangibles, net	1,033	1,007
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	43	43
Deferred income taxes	321	255
Other assets	150	48
Total assets	7,006	6,661
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	1	1
Accounts payable	882	858
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	93	88
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	436	436
Total current liabilities	1,412	1,383
Long-term debt	229	3
Intercompany due to (due from)	1,830	2,726
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	768	225
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	4,239	4,337
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	2,767	2,324
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,767	2,324
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	7,006	6,661
Nonguarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	188	364
Restricted cash	6	5
Receivables, net	1,860	1,629
Inventories, net	1,197	1,287
Prepayments and other current assets	417	311
Total current assets	3,668	3,596
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,335	2,361
Investment in affiliated companies	0	0
Long-term receivables, net	1	1
Goodwill	305	383
Intangibles, net	545	510
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	462	501
Deferred income taxes	236	200
Other assets	375	180
Total assets	7,927	7,732
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	160	152
Accounts payable	1,765	1,894
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	285	255
Accrued income taxes	57	52
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	556	488
Total current liabilities	2,823	2,841
Long-term debt	9	32
Intercompany due to (due from)	(200)	(215)
Deferred income taxes	104	88
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	806	705
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	3,542	3,451
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	139	138
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	4,051	3,953
Noncontrolling interests	195	190
Total equity	4,246	4,143
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	7,927	7,732
Tenneco Inc
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	4
Restricted cash	0	0
Receivables, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Prepayments and other current assets	30	25
Total current assets	30	29
Property, plant and equipment, net	8	9
Investment in affiliated companies	5,203	4,856
Long-term receivables, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	223
Intangibles, net	0	2
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Deferred income taxes	13	12
Other assets	14	0
Total assets	5,268	5,131
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	4	7
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	27
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	50	77
Total current liabilities	54	111
Long-term debt	5,170	5,305
Intercompany due to (due from)	(1,630)	(2,511)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	32	500
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	3,626	3,405
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,642	1,726
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,642	1,726
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	$ 5,268	$ 5,131