Selected Quarterly Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 728,271	$ 764,850	$ 496,259	$ 531,694	$ 750,212	$ 704,134	$ 679,130	$ 619,163	$ 2,521,074	$ 2,752,639	$ 2,808,062
Gross profit	128,987	237,275	65,640	55,913	131,524	114,366	99,141	88,259	487,814	433,290	443,293
Net income attributable to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company	$ 37,991	$ 122,604	$ (6,215)	$ (11,591)	$ 51,259	$ 29,344	$ 8,821	$ 6,979	$ 142,789	$ 96,404	$ 76,586
Earnings per share, basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.75	$ 2.44	$ (0.12)	$ (230)	$ 1.02	$ 0.58	$ 0.18	$ 0.14	$ 2.84	$ 1.92	$ 1.52
Earnings per share, diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.75	$ 2.42	$ (0.12)	$ (230)	$ 1.02	$ 0.58	$ 0.18	$ 0.14	$ 2.83	$ 1.91	$ 1.51
Consolidated operating (loss) profit	$ 60,291	$ 171,507	$ 5,311	$ (6,228)					$ 230,881	$ 174,455	$ 165,245
Interest expense	(5,793)	(5,400)	(6,507)	(5,007)	$ (7,590)	$ (7,476)	$ (7,810)	$ (8,314)	(22,707)	(31,189)	(32,181)
Interest income	664	559	650	1,696	2,571	1,507	1,999	3,380	3,569	9,458	10,216
Other pension and postretirement benefit expense	(10,007)	(5,621)	(5,582)	(4,210)	(13,355)	(9,562)	(9,288)	(9,362)	(25,419)	(41,567)	(27,806)
Other non-operating income (expense)	901	2,303	(397)	1,773	(892)	(509)	(1,463)	1,380	4,579	(1,485)	(1,416)
Income before income taxes	46,056	163,348	(6,525)	(11,976)	44,317	36,729	15,109	13,515	190,903	109,672	114,058
Net income	37,741	123,123	(5,643)	(11,317)	52,871	29,008	9,258	7,178	143,904	98,317	80,563
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Consolidated operating (loss) profit					63,583	52,769	31,671	26,431
Unallocated corporate charges
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Consolidated operating (loss) profit	(15,928)	(13,355)	(18,455)	(6,951)	(15,186)	(11,051)	(13,278)	(10,453)	(54,690)	(49,968)	(51,564)
Eliminations
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	(36,693)	(36,841)	(30,188)	(27,748)	(23,748)	(30,093)	(41,691)	(39,558)	(131,470)	(135,090)	(195,560)
Consolidated operating (loss) profit	607	349	511	586	484	710	(569)	(566)	2,055	60	1,353
Americas Tire
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									2,148,828	2,315,497	2,330,457
Americas Tire | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	628,773	659,538	425,523	457,055	654,526	601,957	582,307	514,936	2,170,889	2,353,726	2,362,646
Consolidated operating (loss) profit	72,378	175,747	21,808	10,416	84,209	67,941	46,814	38,789	280,349	237,753	229,500
Americas Tire | Eliminations
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									22,061	38,229	32,189
International Tire
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									372,246	437,143	477,621
International Tire | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	136,191	142,153	100,924	102,387	119,434	132,270	138,514	143,785	481,655	534,003	640,976
Consolidated operating (loss) profit	$ 3,234	$ 8,766	$ 1,447	$ (10,279)	$ (5,924)	$ (4,831)	$ (1,296)	$ (1,339)	3,167	(13,390)	(14,044)
International Tire | Eliminations
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									$ 109,409	$ 96,860	$ 163,355