Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Dealer
Impaired finance receivables
Recorded Investment, Total	$ 0		$ 0
Finance Receivables \| Customer
Impaired finance receivables
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	578		530
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	575		528
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	280		256
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	288		265
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	98		85
Recorded Investment, Total	858		786
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	863		793
Related Allowance, Total	98		85
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	535	$ 417
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	5	4
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	271	180
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	3	2
Average Recorded Investment, Total	806	597
Interest Income Recognized, Total	8	6
Finance Receivables \| Customer \| North America
Impaired finance receivables
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	11		10
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	11		10
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	56		61
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	54		60
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	22		22
Recorded Investment, Total	67		71
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	65		70
Related Allowance, Total	22		22
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	10	14
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	61	14
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	71	28
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	0
Finance Receivables \| Customer \| Europe
Impaired finance receivables
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	48		49
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	47		48
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	4		7
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	4		7
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	2		3
Recorded Investment, Total	52		56
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	51		55
Related Allowance, Total	2		3
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	49	40
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	6	12
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	55	52
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	0
Finance Receivables \| Customer \| Asia Pacific
Impaired finance receivables
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	30		3
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	29		2
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	31		50
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	31		50
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	4		8
Recorded Investment, Total	61		53
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	60		52
Related Allowance, Total	4		8
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	9	2
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	45	33
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	54	35
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	1
Finance Receivables \| Customer \| Mining
Impaired finance receivables
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	133		129
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	132		129
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	0		0
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	0		0
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment, Total	133		129
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	132		129
Related Allowance, Total	0		0
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	128	81
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	0	11
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	128	92
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	1
Finance Receivables \| Customer \| Latin America
Impaired finance receivables
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	67		68
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	67		68
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	110		93
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	121		104
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	39		34
Recorded Investment, Total	177		161
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	188		172
Related Allowance, Total	39		34
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	72	27
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	96	51
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	168	78
Interest Income Recognized, Total	2	1
Finance Receivables \| Customer \| Caterpillar Power Finance
Impaired finance receivables
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	289		271
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	289		271
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	79		45
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	78		44
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	31		18
Recorded Investment, Total	368		316
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	367		315
Related Allowance, Total	31		$ 18
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	267	253
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	3	3
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	63	59
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	330	312
Interest Income Recognized, Total	$ 4	$ 3

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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