Finance Receivables - Credit Quality and Non-Accrual Status (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	$ 71,907	$ 72,401	$ 70,263
Number of Days Past Due After Which Consumer Receivables are Considered Impaired	greater than 120 days past due
Finance receivables not subject to fair value	877	1,000
Pass [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Finance Receivables Credit Quality Ratings Term	current to 60 days past due
Substandard [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Finance Receivables Credit Quality Ratings Term	greater than 120 days past due
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	25,237	26,522
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Nonaccrual Status	28	27
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Nonaccrual Status, Percentage of Receivable	0.10%	0.10%
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, 90 Days Past Due and Still Accruing	14
Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment	61	64
Impaired Financing Receivable Recorded Investment, Percentage of Receivable	0.20%	0.20%
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	22,605	23,996
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	1,219	1,166
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	22,605	23,996
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	1,219	1,166
Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	46,670	45,879
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Nonaccrual Status	323	402
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Nonaccrual Status, Percentage of Receivable	0.70%	0.90%
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, 90 Days Past Due and Still Accruing	15	14
Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment	411	382
Impaired Financing Receivable Recorded Investment, Percentage of Receivable	0.90%	0.80%
Financing Receivable, Modifications, Recorded Investment	185		297
Financing Receivable, Modifications, Recorded Investment, Percentage of Receivable	0.40%		0.60%
Financing Receivables, Modifications, Contracts Subsequently Defaulted, Default Rate	5.70%
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses Related to Troubled Debt Restructurings	18		13
Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Retail [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	45,811	44,906
Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Direct financing leases [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	859	973
North America Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	55,749	54,574
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	17,765	17,571
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	15,583	15,480
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	1,161	1,103
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	15,583	15,480
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	1,161	1,103
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group I [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	13,000	12,712
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group I [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	958	876
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group II [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	2,322	2,489
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group II [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	149	165
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group III [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	247	273
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group III [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	48	58
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group IV [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	14	6
North America Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group IV [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	6	4
North America Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	37,984	37,003
North America Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Retail [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	37,953	36,999
North America Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Direct financing leases [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	31	4
North America Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Pass [Member] | Retail [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	37,806	36,839
North America Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Pass [Member] | Direct financing leases [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	31	4
North America Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Special Mention [Member] | Retail [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	92	90
North America Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Special Mention [Member] | Direct financing leases [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	0	0
North America Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Substandard [Member] | Retail [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	55	70
North America Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Substandard [Member] | Direct financing leases [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	0	0
International Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	16,158	17,827
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	7,472	8,951
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	7,022	8,516
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	58	63
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	7,022	8,516
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	58	63
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group I [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	4,611	5,277
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group I [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	38	42
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group II [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	1,329	1,912
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group II [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	10	10
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group III [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	1,078	1,318
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group III [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	9	10
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group IV [Member] | Wholesale [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	4	9
International Segment [Member] | Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] | Internally Assigned Grade Group IV [Member] | Dealer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	1	1
International Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	8,686	8,876
International Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Retail [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	7,858	7,907
International Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Direct financing leases [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	828	969
International Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Pass [Member] | Retail [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	7,802	7,834
International Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Pass [Member] | Direct financing leases [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	822	962
International Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Special Mention [Member] | Retail [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	28	33
International Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Special Mention [Member] | Direct financing leases [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	3	4
International Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Substandard [Member] | Retail [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	28	40
International Segment [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Substandard [Member] | Direct financing leases [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Financing Receivables	$ 3	$ 3
Minimum [Member] | Special Mention [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Finance Receivables Credit Quality Ratings Term Range	61 days
Minimum [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Financing Receivable [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Number of Days At Which Finance Receivables Are Put in Non Accrual Status	120 days
Minimum [Member] | Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] | Retail [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Number of Days At Which Finance Receivables Are In Process Of Collection	90 days
Maximum [Member] | Special Mention [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Finance Receivables Credit Quality Ratings Term Range	120 days