Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 564	$ 697
Restricted cash	2	5
Receivables, net	2,538	2,572
Inventories, net	1,999	2,245
Prepayments and other current assets	632	590
Total current assets	5,735	6,109
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,627	3,501
Investment in affiliated companies	0	0
Long-term receivables, net	10	10
Goodwill	775	869
Intangibles, net	1,422	1,519
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	518	544
Deferred income taxes	607	467
Other assets	532	213
Total assets	13,226	13,232
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	185	153
Accounts payable	2,647	2,759
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	325	343
Accrued income taxes	72	64
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	1,070	1,001
Total current liabilities	4,299	4,320
Long-term debt	5,371	5,340
Intercompany due to (due from)	0	0
Deferred income taxes	106	88
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	1,635	1,430
Commitments and contingencies (Note 15)
Total liabilities	11,411	11,178
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	196	138	$ 42	$ 40
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,425	1,726
Noncontrolling interests	194	190
Total equity	1,619	1,916
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity	13,226	13,232
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	126	329
Restricted cash	0	0
Receivables, net	731	943
Inventories, net	868	958
Prepayments and other current assets	163	254
Total current assets	1,888	2,484
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,140	1,131
Investment in affiliated companies	1,617	1,421
Long-term receivables, net	9	9
Goodwill	479	263
Intangibles, net	892	1,007
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	43	43
Deferred income taxes	353	255
Other assets	141	48
Total assets	6,562	6,661
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	1	1
Accounts payable	750	858
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	77	88
Accrued income taxes	1	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	445	436
Total current liabilities	1,274	1,383
Long-term debt	182	3
Intercompany due to (due from)	1,843	2,726
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	707	225
Total liabilities	4,006	4,337
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	2,556	2,324
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,556	2,324
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity	6,562	6,661
Nonguarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	438	364
Restricted cash	2	5
Receivables, net	1,807	1,629
Inventories, net	1,131	1,287
Prepayments and other current assets	410	311
Total current assets	3,788	3,596
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,478	2,361
Investment in affiliated companies	0	0
Long-term receivables, net	1	1
Goodwill	296	383
Intangibles, net	530	510
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	475	501
Deferred income taxes	244	200
Other assets	378	180
Total assets	8,190	7,732
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	169	152
Accounts payable	1,897	1,894
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	243	255
Accrued income taxes	71	52
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	572	488
Total current liabilities	2,952	2,841
Long-term debt	9	32
Intercompany due to (due from)	(106)	(215)
Deferred income taxes	106	88
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	895	705
Total liabilities	3,856	3,451
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	196	138
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	3,944	3,953
Noncontrolling interests	194	190
Total equity	4,138	4,143
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity	8,190	7,732
Tenneco Inc. (Parent Company)
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	59	25
Total current assets	59	29
Property, plant and equipment, net	9	9
Investment in affiliated companies	4,903	4,856
Long-term receivables, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	223
Intangibles, net	0	2
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Deferred income taxes	10	12
Other assets	13	0
Total assets	4,994	5,131
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	15	0
Accounts payable	0	7
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	5	0
Accrued income taxes	0	27
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	53	77
Total current liabilities	73	111
Long-term debt	5,180	5,305
Intercompany due to (due from)	(1,737)	(2,511)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	33	500
Total liabilities	3,549	3,405
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,445	1,726
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,445	1,726
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity	4,994	5,131
Reclass & 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	(6,520)	(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	(6,520)	(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
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	0	(15)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	(6,520)	(6,277)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(6,520)	(6,277)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity	$ (6,520)	$ (6,292)