Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017		Sep. 30, 2018		Sep. 30, 2017
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenue		$ 3,122,378	$ 2,465,800		$ 8,873,893		$ 7,267,054
Cost of goods sold		1,925,180	1,508,924		5,460,845		4,415,076
Gross margin		1,197,198	956,876		3,413,048		2,851,978
Selling, general and administrative expenses (1)		879,150	695,978	[1]	2,472,085	[1]	2,003,065	[1]
Restructuring and acquisition related expenses		6,614	4,922		26,546		10,371
Depreciation and amortization		76,701	56,877		196,322		159,178
Operating income		234,733	199,099		718,095		679,364
Other expense (income):
Interest expense, net		40,860	25,222		107,647		73,806
Gains on bargain purchases			(913)		(328)		(3,990)
Other income, net		(6,959)	(3,107)		(9,086)		(6,884)
Total other expense, net		33,901	21,202		98,233		62,932
Income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes		200,832	177,897		619,862		616,432
Provision for income taxes		46,068	58,189		156,427		206,206
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries		(20,284)	2,673		(18,326)		3,878
Income from continuing operations		134,480	122,381		445,109		414,104
Net loss from discontinued operations							(4,531)
Net income		134,480	122,381		445,109		409,573
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interest		378			1,040
Net income attributable to LKQ stockholders		$ 134,102	$ 122,381		$ 444,069		$ 409,573
Basic earnings per share: (2)
Income from continuing operations		$ 0.42	$ 0.40		$ 1.42		$ 1.34
Net loss from discontinued operations							(0.01)
Net income		0.42	0.40		1.42		1.33
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interest		0.00			0.00
Net income attributable to LKQ stockholders	[2]	0.42	0.40		1.42		1.33
Diluted earnings per share: (2)
Income from continuing operations		0.42	0.39		1.41		1.33
Net loss from discontinued operations							(0.01)
Net income		0.42	0.39		1.41		1.32
Net income attributable to Noncontrolling Interest Per Share, Diluted		0.00			0.00
Net income attributable to LKQ stockholders	[2]	$ 0.42	$ 0.39		$ 1.41		$ 1.32

[1] (1) Selling, general and administrative expenses contain facility and warehouses expenses and distribution expenses that were previously shown separately.

[2] (2) The sum of the individual earnings per share amounts may not equal the total due to rounding.