Finance Receivables - Credit Quality (Details) (Financial Services [Member], USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Pass	Sep. 30, 2012 Special Mention Minimum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Special Mention Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Substandard	Sep. 30, 2012 Consumer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consumer [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Consumer [Member] Retail [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consumer [Member] Retail [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-consumer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-consumer [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Consumer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Consumer [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Pass	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Pass	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Special Mention	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Special Mention	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Substandard	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Substandard	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Pass	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Pass	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Special Mention	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Special Mention	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Substandard	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Substandard	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group I	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group I	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group II	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group II	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group III	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group III	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group IV	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group IV	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group I	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group I	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group II	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group II	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group III	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group III	Sep. 30, 2012 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group IV	Dec. 31, 2011 North America [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group IV	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Consumer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Consumer [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Pass	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Pass	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Special Mention	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Special Mention	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Substandard	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Retail [Member] Substandard	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Pass	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Pass	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Special Mention	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Special Mention	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Substandard	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Consumer [Member] Direct financing leases [Member] Substandard	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group I	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group I	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group II	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group II	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group III	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group III	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group IV	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Wholesale [Member] Group IV	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Internally Assigned Grade [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group I	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group I	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group II	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group II	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group III	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group III	Sep. 30, 2012 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group IV	Dec. 31, 2011 International [Member] Non-consumer [Member] Dealer loans [Member] Group IV
Credit quality ratings
Term, in days, for credit quality rating			current to 60 days past due			greater than 120 days past due
Finance Receivables Credit Quality Ratings Term Range				61 days	120 days
Finance Receivable Credit Quality [Abstract]
Financing Receivable By Credit Quality Indicator	$ 72,992	$ 73,831					$ 48,207	$ 47,751	$ 45,999	$ 45,180	$ 2,208	$ 2,571	$ 24,785	$ 26,080	$ 22,309	$ 23,829	$ 22,309	$ 23,829	$ 1,204	$ 1,151	$ 1,204	$ 1,151	$ 55,525	$ 54,227	$ 37,984	$ 37,003	$ 37,953	$ 36,999	$ 37,806	$ 36,839	$ 92	$ 90	$ 55	$ 70	$ 31	$ 4	$ 31	$ 4					$ 17,541	$ 17,224	$ 15,517	$ 15,413	$ 15,517	$ 15,413	$ 12,934	$ 12,645	$ 2,322	$ 2,489	$ 247	$ 273	$ 14	$ 6	$ 1,146	$ 1,088	$ 1,146	$ 1,088	$ 943	$ 861	$ 149	$ 165	$ 48	$ 58	$ 6	$ 4	$ 17,467	$ 19,604	$ 10,223	$ 10,748	$ 8,046	$ 8,181	$ 7,990	$ 8,107	$ 28	$ 34	$ 28	$ 40	$ 2,177	$ 2,567	$ 2,169	$ 2,559	$ 5	$ 5	$ 3	$ 3	$ 7,244	$ 8,856	$ 6,792	$ 8,416	$ 6,792	$ 8,416	$ 4,356	$ 5,115	$ 1,352	$ 1,965	$ 1,080	$ 1,327	$ 4	$ 9	$ 58	$ 63	$ 58	$ 63	$ 38	$ 42	$ 10	$ 10	$ 9	$ 10	$ 1	$ 1