Selected Quarterly Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 783,887	$ 750,913	$ 740,294	$ 649,775	$ 775,546	$ 782,368	$ 751,781	$ 663,206	$ 2,924,869	$ 2,972,901	$ 3,424,809
Gross profit	169,300	152,952	179,669	150,429	171,850	153,954	159,692	131,954	652,350	617,450	572,758
Net income attributable to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company	$ 69,324	$ 49,303	$ 70,749	$ 59,005	$ 59,246	$ 53,176	$ 59,582	$ 40,762	$ 248,381	$ 212,766	$ 213,578
Basic earnings per share attributable to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.30	$ 0.91	$ 1.29	$ 1.06	$ 1.06	$ 0.94	$ 1.04	$ 0.70	$ 4.56	$ 3.73	$ 3.48
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.28	$ 0.90	$ 1.27	$ 1.05	$ 1.04	$ 0.93	$ 1.03	$ 0.69	$ 4.51	$ 3.69	$ 3.42
Operating Profit	$ 105,138	$ 78,228	$ 109,916	$ 91,104	$ 102,531	$ 82,167	$ 99,428	$ 70,354	$ 384,387	$ 354,480	$ 300,458
Interest expense	(6,887)	(6,795)	(6,286)	(6,636)	(5,335)	(5,889)	(6,240)	(6,356)	(26,604)	(23,820)	(28,138)
Interest income	1,471	1,018	948	940	602	533	514	562	4,378	2,211	1,500
Other non-operating income (expense)	260	1,785	1,427	1,462	(1,876)	1,362	1,592	79	4,932	1,157	(2,772)
Income before income taxes	99,982	74,236	106,005	86,870	95,922	78,173	95,294	64,639	367,093	334,028	348,519
Net income	70,692	50,479	71,351	58,772	59,516	53,649	60,476	42,163	251,294	215,804	236,822
Unallocated corporate charges
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Operating Profit	(12,118)	(26,442)	(8,730)	(13,019)	(12,258)	(15,416)	(5,782)	(18,886)	(60,308)	(52,342)	(48,930)
Intercompany
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	(34,047)	(34,517)	(38,105)	(32,789)	(36,241)	(38,995)	(46,086)	(42,410)	(139,457)	(163,732)	(301,501)
Operating Profit	(370)	(117)	(599)	(157)	279	437	277	2,033	(1,244)	3,026	(15)
Americas Tire
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									2,600,323	2,684,754	2,585,484
Americas Tire | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	693,624	672,641	654,721	579,338	710,760	702,460	673,016	598,518	2,549,743	2,627,619	2,524,554
Operating Profit	116,273	101,522	116,093	106,052	121,889	102,475	108,566	89,999	439,941	422,929	274,837
Americas Tire | Intercompany
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									50,580	57,135	60,930
International Tire
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									464,003	451,879	1,140,826
International Tire | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	124,310	112,789	123,678	103,226	101,027	118,903	124,851	107,098	375,126	345,282	900,255
Operating Profit	$ 1,353	$ 3,265	$ 3,152	$ (1,772)	$ (7,379)	$ (5,329)	$ (3,633)	$ (2,792)	5,998	(19,133)	74,566
International Tire | Intercompany
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									$ 88,877	$ 106,597	$ 240,571