Variable Interest Entities - Significant VIEs (Details)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Getrag Ford Transmissions GmbH [Member]
Significant Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Percent ownership of VIE	50.00%
Automotive [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] \| Getrag Deutsche Venture GmbH and Co KG [Member]
Significant Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Percent ownership of VIE	50.00%

Percentage of the Variable Interest Entity's (VIE) voting interest owned by (or beneficial interest in) the reporting entity (directly or indirectly).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5A

-Subparagraph (d)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6970148&loc=SL6759159-111685

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration