Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 17,472,000,000	$ 18,322,000,000	$ 17,472,000,000	$ 18,322,000,000	$ 14,805,000,000	$ 20,894,000,000
Other receivables, net	9,473,000,000		9,473,000,000		7,388,000,000
Inventories	7,036,000,000		7,036,000,000		5,917,000,000
Net property	23,263,000,000		23,263,000,000		23,179,000,000
Other assets	6,397,000,000		6,397,000,000		6,214,000,000
Total assets	168,086,000,000	179,750,000,000	168,086,000,000	179,750,000,000	164,687,000,000
Payables	19,424,000,000		19,424,000,000		16,362,000,000
Accrued liabilities and deferred revenue	43,262,000,000		43,262,000,000		43,844,000,000
Debt	98,550,000,000		98,550,000,000		103,988,000,000
Total liabilities	162,736,000,000		162,736,000,000		165,329,000,000
Financial Performance [Abstract]
Interest expense	1,127,000,000	1,636,000,000	2,301,000,000	3,337,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Primary Beneficiary Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Cash contribution for collateral to support Wholesale Securitization Program					0
Financial Services [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Primary Beneficiary Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Cash contribution for collateral to support Wholesale Securitization Program	490,000,000		490,000,000
Automotive [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	9,822,000,000	8,647,000,000	9,822,000,000	8,647,000,000	6,301,000,000	9,762,000,000
Inventories	7,036,000,000		7,036,000,000		5,917,000,000
Net property	23,119,000,000		23,119,000,000		23,027,000,000
Total assets	69,253,000,000	75,801,000,000	69,253,000,000	75,801,000,000	64,606,000,000
Debt	14,002,000,000		14,002,000,000		19,077,000,000
Total liabilities	72,889,000,000		72,889,000,000		74,904,000,000
Automotive [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents					9,000,000
Other receivables, net					13,000,000
Inventories					19,000,000
Net property					31,000,000
Other assets					2,000,000
Total assets					74,000,000
Payables					16,000,000
Total liabilities					16,000,000
Automotive [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Maximum Exposure to Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Total maximum exposure	265,000,000		265,000,000		427,000,000
Total change in maximum exposure	(162,000,000)		(162,000,000)
Automotive [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Investments [Member]
Maximum Exposure to Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Total maximum exposure	255,000,000		255,000,000		417,000,000
Total change in maximum exposure	(162,000,000)		(162,000,000)
Automotive [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Guarantees [Member]
Maximum Exposure to Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Total maximum exposure	10,000,000		10,000,000		10,000,000
Total change in maximum exposure	0		0
Automotive [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Zeledyne LLC [Member]
Not Primary Beneficiary Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Carrying value of obligation in VIE	10,000,000		10,000,000
Financial Services [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	7,650,000,000	9,675,000,000	7,650,000,000	9,675,000,000	8,504,000,000	11,132,000,000
Other assets	3,683,000,000		3,683,000,000		4,221,000,000
Total assets	102,077,000,000	109,616,000,000	102,077,000,000	109,616,000,000	103,270,000,000
Payables	1,114,000,000		1,114,000,000		1,352,000,000
Debt	84,749,000,000		84,749,000,000		85,112,000,000
Total liabilities	93,091,000,000		93,091,000,000		93,614,000,000
Financial Performance [Abstract]
Interest expense	925,000,000	1,118,000,000	1,848,000,000	2,277,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	3,900,000,000		3,900,000,000		4,100,000,000
Notes Receivable Net And Net Investment In Operating Leases	56,800,000,000		56,800,000,000		56,600,000,000
Debt	40,000,000,000		40,000,000,000		40,200,000,000
Footnote information [Abstract]
Variable Interest Entities Liabilities Excluded	347,000,000		347,000,000		334,000,000
Derivative Instruments related exposure [Abstract]
Derivative asset exposure based on the fair value of derivative instruments related to securitization programs	147,000,000		147,000,000		160,000,000
Derivative liabilities exposure based on the fair value of derivative instruments related to securitization programs	154,000,000		154,000,000		259,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Retail [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	3,100,000,000		3,100,000,000		2,900,000,000
Notes Receivable Net And Net Investment In Operating Leases	35,500,000,000		35,500,000,000		33,900,000,000
Debt	29,100,000,000		29,100,000,000		27,100,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Net Investment in Operating Leases [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	400,000,000		400,000,000		800,000,000
Notes Receivable Net And Net Investment In Operating Leases	3,700,000,000		3,700,000,000		6,100,000,000
Debt	1,900,000,000		1,900,000,000		3,000,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Ford Credit [Member]
Primary Beneficiary Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Variable Interest Entity, Financial or Other Support, Amount	250,000,000
Derivative Instruments related exposure [Abstract]
Derivative asset exposure based on the fair value of derivative instruments related to securitization programs	54,000,000		54,000,000		134,000,000
Derivative liabilities exposure based on the fair value of derivative instruments related to securitization programs	51,000,000		51,000,000		37,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	3,500,000,000		3,500,000,000		3,300,000,000
Notes Receivable Net And Net Investment In Operating Leases	53,100,000,000		53,100,000,000		50,500,000,000
Debt	38,100,000,000		38,100,000,000		37,200,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	400,000,000		400,000,000		400,000,000
Notes Receivable Net And Net Investment In Operating Leases	17,600,000,000		17,600,000,000		16,600,000,000
Debt	9,000,000,000		9,000,000,000		10,100,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Securitization Transactions [Member]
Derivative Instruments related exposure [Abstract]
Derivative asset exposure based on the fair value of derivative instruments related to securitization programs	93,000,000		93,000,000		26,000,000
Derivative liabilities exposure based on the fair value of derivative instruments related to securitization programs	103,000,000		103,000,000		222,000,000
Financial Performance [Abstract]
Derivative Income/(Expense)	88,000,000	2,000,000	33,000,000	147,000,000
Interest expense	261,000,000	342,000,000	515,000,000	674,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	100,000,000		100,000,000		200,000,000
Notes Receivable Net And Net Investment In Operating Leases	4,400,000,000		4,400,000,000		4,100,000,000
Debt	3,900,000,000		3,900,000,000		3,700,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Finance Receivables [Member] | Securitization Transactions [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	3,600,000,000		3,600,000,000		3,500,000,000
Notes Receivable Net And Net Investment In Operating Leases	57,500,000,000		57,500,000,000		54,600,000,000
Debt	42,000,000,000		42,000,000,000		40,900,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Net Investment in Operating Leases [Member] | Securitization Transactions [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	400,000,000		400,000,000		800,000,000
Notes Receivable Net And Net Investment In Operating Leases	3,700,000,000		3,700,000,000		6,100,000,000
Debt	1,900,000,000		1,900,000,000		3,000,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Maximum Exposure to Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Total maximum exposure	81,000,000		81,000,000		71,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Debt	43,923,000,000		43,923,000,000
Financial Services [Member] | Securitization Transactions [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	4,000,000,000		4,000,000,000		4,300,000,000
Notes Receivable Net And Net Investment In Operating Leases	61,200,000,000		61,200,000,000		60,700,000,000
Debt	43,900,000,000		43,900,000,000		43,900,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	3,890,000,000		3,890,000,000		4,062,000,000
Other receivables, net	0		0		13,000,000
Inventories	0		0		19,000,000
Net property	0		0		31,000,000
Other assets	93,000,000		93,000,000		28,000,000
Payables	0		0		16,000,000
Accrued liabilities and deferred revenue	103,000,000		103,000,000		222,000,000
Debt	39,973,000,000		39,973,000,000		40,247,000,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Net Investment in Operating Leases [Member]
Assets and liabilities [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	400,000,000		400,000,000		800,000,000
Notes Receivable Net And Net Investment In Operating Leases	3,700,000,000		3,700,000,000		6,100,000,000
Debt	$ 1,900,000,000		$ 1,900,000,000		$ 3,000,000,000