Parent And Guarantor Consolidating Financial Statements (Schedule Of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flow) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 4,845		$ 5,781
Purchases of available-for-sale securities	(9,592)		(15,020)
Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities	6,774		12,093
Proceeds from maturities of available-for-sale securities	4,940		3,725
Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables and loans	(7,925)		(10,705)
Proceeds from sales of finance receivables and loans	2,329		2,868
Net (increase) decrease in operating lease assets	(4,309)		(470)
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	0		0
Returns of contributed capital	0		0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents from deconsolidation of ResCap	(539)		0
Proceeds from sale of business units, net	516	[1]	50	[1]
Other, net	75		633
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(7,731)		(6,826)
Net change in short-term borrowings	(1,673)		(1,263)
Net increase in bank deposits	4,673		4,454
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	27,520		36,900
Repayments of long-term debt	(22,908)		(34,576)
Dividends paid	(601)		(619)
Capital contributions from parent	0		0
Other, net	(26)		962
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	6,985		5,858
Effect of exchange-rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1)		(45)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	4,098		4,768
Adjustment for change in cash and cash equivalents of operations held-for-sale	24		(36)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	13,035		11,670
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	17,157		16,402
Intercompany [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables and loans	0		0
Net change in debt	0		0
Dividends paid and returns of contributed capital	0		0
Parent [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(104)		2,767
Purchases of available-for-sale securities	0		0
Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities	0		1,494
Proceeds from maturities of available-for-sale securities	0		1
Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables and loans	(1,857)		(3,030)
Proceeds from sales of finance receivables and loans	352		1,346
Net (increase) decrease in operating lease assets	(928)		3,028
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	(56)		(1,339)
Returns of contributed capital	1,926		1,072
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents from deconsolidation of ResCap	0
Proceeds from sale of business units, net	29		0
Other, net	(155)		(251)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	1,300		6,546
Net change in short-term borrowings	336		129
Net increase in bank deposits	0		0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	3,092		3,228
Repayments of long-term debt	(3,392)		(8,415)
Dividends paid	(601)		(619)
Capital contributions from parent	0		0
Other, net	(436)		363
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(527)		(5,054)
Effect of exchange-rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(53)		0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	616		4,259
Adjustment for change in cash and cash equivalents of operations held-for-sale	0		0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	6,261		4,665
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	6,877		8,924
Parent [Member] | Intercompany [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables and loans	1,989		4,225
Net change in debt	474		260
Dividends paid and returns of contributed capital	0		0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	34		220
Purchases of available-for-sale securities	0		0
Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities	0		0
Proceeds from maturities of available-for-sale securities	0		0
Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables and loans	84		57
Proceeds from sales of finance receivables and loans	0		0
Net (increase) decrease in operating lease assets	0		0
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	0		(855)
Returns of contributed capital	0		0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents from deconsolidation of ResCap	0
Proceeds from sale of business units, net	0		0
Other, net	(20)		0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	291		(805)
Net change in short-term borrowings	1		36
Net increase in bank deposits	0		0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0		70
Repayments of long-term debt	(46)		(133)
Dividends paid	0		0
Capital contributions from parent	0		855
Other, net	0		0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(337)		596
Effect of exchange-rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0		0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(12)		11
Adjustment for change in cash and cash equivalents of operations held-for-sale	0		0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	14		1
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	2		12
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Intercompany [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables and loans	227		(7)
Net change in debt	(281)		(25)
Dividends paid and returns of contributed capital	(11)		(207)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	5,339		4,002
Purchases of available-for-sale securities	(9,592)		(15,020)
Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities	6,774		10,599
Proceeds from maturities of available-for-sale securities	4,940		3,724
Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables and loans	(6,152)		(7,732)
Proceeds from sales of finance receivables and loans	1,977		1,522
Net (increase) decrease in operating lease assets	(3,381)		(3,498)
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	0		0
Returns of contributed capital	0		0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents from deconsolidation of ResCap	(539)
Proceeds from sale of business units, net	487		50
Other, net	250		884
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(4,955)		(9,446)
Net change in short-term borrowings	(2,010)		(1,428)
Net increase in bank deposits	4,706		4,454
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	24,428		33,602
Repayments of long-term debt	(19,470)		(26,028)
Dividends paid	0		0
Capital contributions from parent	56		1,339
Other, net	410		599
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	3,565		6,247
Effect of exchange-rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	52		(45)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	4,001		758
Adjustment for change in cash and cash equivalents of operations held-for-sale	24		(36)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	7,276		7,508
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	11,301		8,230
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Intercompany [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables and loans	281		25
Net change in debt	(2,216)		(4,218)
Dividends paid and returns of contributed capital	(2,339)		(2,073)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(424)		(1,208)
Purchases of available-for-sale securities	0		0
Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities	0		0
Proceeds from maturities of available-for-sale securities	0		0
Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables and loans	0		0
Proceeds from sales of finance receivables and loans	0		0
Net (increase) decrease in operating lease assets	0		0
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	56		2,194
Returns of contributed capital	(1,926)		(1,072)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents from deconsolidation of ResCap	0
Proceeds from sale of business units, net	0		0
Other, net	0		0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(4,367)		(3,121)
Net change in short-term borrowings	0		0
Net increase in bank deposits	(33)		0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0		0
Repayments of long-term debt	0		0
Dividends paid	0		0
Capital contributions from parent	(56)		(2,194)
Other, net	0		0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	4,284		4,069
Effect of exchange-rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0		0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(507)		(260)
Adjustment for change in cash and cash equivalents of operations held-for-sale	0		0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	(516)		(504)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	(1,023)		(764)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Intercompany [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables and loans	(2,497)		(4,243)
Net change in debt	2,023		3,983
Dividends paid and returns of contributed capital	$ 2,350		$ 2,280

[1] The amounts are net of cash and cash equivalents of $147 million at September 30, 2012, and $88 million at September 30, 2011, of business units at the time of disposition.