Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities		$ 444		$ 439		$ 517
Investing Activities
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired		(158)		(2,194)		0
Proceeds from sale of assets		20		9		8
Proceeds from sale of investment in nonconsolidated affiliates		2		0		9
Net proceeds from sale of business		22		0		0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(744)		(507)		(419)
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables		250		174		112
Other		2		4		(10)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities		(606)		(2,514)		(300)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from term loans and notes		200		3,426		160
Repayments of term loans and notes		(341)		(453)		(36)
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit		9,120		5,149		6,664
Payments on revolving lines of credit		(8,884)		(5,405)		(6,737)
Repurchase of common shares		(2)		(1)		(1)
Cash dividends		(20)		(59)		(53)
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt		0		(95)		(8)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0		(169)
Net decrease in bank overdrafts		(13)		(5)		(7)
Other		(4)		(30)		0
Acquisition of additional ownership interest in consolidated affiliates		(10)		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		(43)		(51)		(64)
Other		0		0		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		3		2,476		(251)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		23		(17)		3
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash		(136)		384		(31)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period		702	[1]	318	[1]	349
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period	[1]	566		702		318
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities		118		248		284
Investing Activities
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired		0		151
Proceeds from sale of assets		3		2		3
Proceeds from sale of investment in nonconsolidated affiliates		0				0
Net proceeds from sale of business		7
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(216)		(196)		(164)
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables		0		0		0
Other		4		1		(4)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities		(202)		(42)		(165)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from term loans and notes		0		0		136
Repayments of term loans and notes		(1)		(391)		(10)
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit		8,221		4,411		3,956
Payments on revolving lines of credit		(8,038)		(4,654)		(3,710)
Repurchase of common shares		0		0		0
Cash dividends		0		0		0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt				(15)		(8)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program						0
Net decrease in bank overdrafts		0		0		0
Other		0		0
Acquisition of additional ownership interest in consolidated affiliates		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Other		(302)		765		(485)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		(120)		116		(121)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		0		0		0
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash		(204)		322		(2)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period		329	[1]	7	[1]	9
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period	[1]	125		329		7
Nonguarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities		427		246		290
Investing Activities
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired		(158)		124
Proceeds from sale of assets		17		7		5
Proceeds from sale of investment in nonconsolidated affiliates		2				9
Net proceeds from sale of business		15
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(528)		(311)		(255)
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables		250		174		112
Other		(3)		3		(6)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities		(405)		(3)		(135)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from term loans and notes		200		26		24
Repayments of term loans and notes		(238)		(62)		(20)
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit		248		114		48
Payments on revolving lines of credit		(211)		(127)		(49)
Repurchase of common shares		0		0		0
Cash dividends		0		0		0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt				0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program						0
Net decrease in bank overdrafts		(13)		(5)		(7)
Other		(4)		(30)
Acquisition of additional ownership interest in consolidated affiliates		(10)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		(43)		(51)		(64)
Other		98		(33)		(119)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		27		(168)		(187)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		23		(17)		3
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash		72		58		(29)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period		369	[1]	311	[1]	340
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period	[1]	441		369		311
Tenneco Inc. (Parent Company)
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities		(89)		(36)		(4)
Investing Activities
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired		0		(2,469)
Proceeds from sale of assets		0		0		0
Proceeds from sale of investment in nonconsolidated affiliates		0				0
Net proceeds from sale of business		0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		0		0		0
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables		0		0		0
Other		1				0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities		1		(2,469)		0
Financing Activities
Proceeds from term loans and notes		0		3,400		0
Repayments of term loans and notes		(102)		0		(6)
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit		651		624		2,660
Payments on revolving lines of credit		(635)		(624)		(2,978)
Repurchase of common shares		(2)		(1)		(1)
Cash dividends		(20)		(59)		(53)
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt				(80)		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program						(169)
Net decrease in bank overdrafts		0		0		0
Other		0		0
Acquisition of additional ownership interest in consolidated affiliates		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Other		192		(751)		551
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		84		2,509		4
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		0		0		0
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash		(4)		4		0
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period		4	[1]	0	[1]	0
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period	[1]	0		4		0
Reclass & Elims
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities		(12)		(19)		(53)
Investing Activities
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired		0		0
Proceeds from sale of assets		0		0		0
Proceeds from sale of investment in nonconsolidated affiliates		0				0
Net proceeds from sale of business		0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		0		0		0
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables		0		0		0
Other		0				0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities		0		0		0
Financing Activities
Proceeds from term loans and notes		0		0		0
Repayments of term loans and notes		0		0		0
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit		0		0		0
Payments on revolving lines of credit		0		0		0
Repurchase of common shares		0		0		0
Cash dividends		0		0		0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt				0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program						0
Net decrease in bank overdrafts		0		0		0
Other		0		0
Acquisition of additional ownership interest in consolidated affiliates		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Other		12		19		53
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		12		19		53
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		0		0		0
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash		0		0		0
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period		0	[1]	0	[1]	0
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period	[1]	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0

[1] Cash and cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase.