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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName METROPOLITAN WEST FUNDS
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Jul. 29, 2011
Retail Class | METROPOLITAN WEST ALPHA TRAK 500 FUND | Class M
 
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment) rr_MaximumAccountFee none
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.62% [1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 1.26%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.89% [2]
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets 0.98% [3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.91% [3]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 93
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 499
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 930
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 2,132
Annual Return 2001 rr_AnnualReturn2001 (9.36%)
Annual Return 2002 rr_AnnualReturn2002 (26.52%)
Annual Return 2003 rr_AnnualReturn2003 33.08%
Annual Return 2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 12.33%
Annual Return 2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 4.61%
Annual Return 2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 17.47%
Annual Return 2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 1.56%
Annual Return 2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (52.66%)
Annual Return 2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 39.68%
Annual Return 2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 31.91%
Year to Date Return, Label rr_YearToDateReturnLabel YEAR-TO-DATE TOTAL RETURN AS OF JUNE 30, 2011:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate Jun. 30, 2011
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn 7.69%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Highest Performance Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 29.87%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Lowest Performance Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (33.87%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 31.91%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 0.80%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 0.81%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 2.37%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jun. 29, 1998
Retail Class | METROPOLITAN WEST ALPHA TRAK 500 FUND | Class M | Return After Taxes on Distributions
 
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 29.94%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 (3.18%)
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 (2.05%)
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception (0.69%)
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jun. 29, 1998
Retail Class | METROPOLITAN WEST ALPHA TRAK 500 FUND | Class M | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
 
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 20.47%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 (1.61%)
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 (0.98%)
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 0.26%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jun. 29, 1998
Retail Class | METROPOLITAN WEST ALPHA TRAK 500 FUND
 
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination July 31, 2012
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 71.00%
Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text] rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses will not correlate to the ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets found in the "Financial Highlights" section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund, but does not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney You can lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text] rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year. The table compares the average annual total returns of the Fund to broad-based securities market index.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone (800) 241-4671
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress www.mwamllc.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher In some cases, returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may be higher than returns before taxes because the calculations assume that the investor received a tax deduction for any loss incurred on the sale of the shares.
Performance Table Narrative rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock
Retail Class | METROPOLITAN WEST ALPHA TRAK 500 FUND | S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
 
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 17.29%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.68%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 1.61%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 2.75%
[1] The management fee paid to the Adviser for providing services to the Fund consists of a basic fee at an annual rate of 0.35% of the Fund's average net assets and a positive or negative performance adjustment of up to an annual rate of 0.35% (applied to the average assets for the rolling 3-month performance period), resulting in a total minimum fee of 0% and a total maximum fee of 0.70%. The average monthly management fee for the year ended March 31, 2011 was 0.62% (annual rate).
[2] Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses will not correlate to the ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets found in the "Financial Highlights" section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund, but does not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.
[3] Metropolitan West Asset Management, LLC (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses including distribution expenses to limit the Fund's total annual operating expenses to 0.90% and limit "Other Expenses" to 0.20% of the Fund's average daily net assets, assuming the maximum management fee. "Other Expenses" does not include interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, short sale dividend expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses ("AFFE"), and any expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization or extraordinary expenses such as litigation. This contract will remain in place until July 31, 2012. Although it does not expect to do so, the Board of Trustees is permitted to terminate that contract sooner in its discretion with written notice to the Adviser. If AFFE had not been incurred, the ratio of annualized operating expenses to average net assets for the year ended March 31, 2011 would have been 0.90%. Assuming the amount of other expenses and fee reduction and/or expense reimbursement shown above, net expenses would have been 0.91% assuming the minimum management fee, 0.91% assuming the basic fee and 0.91% assuming the maximum management fee.