<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-07-21</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000053669</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>JOHNSON CONTROLS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>JCI</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001205036</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>KEYES JAMES H</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Chairman</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-21</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>M</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>40000</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>31.8438</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>124663</value><footnoteId id="F1"/><footnoteId id="F2"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-21</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>40000</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>93.0627</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>84663</value><footnoteId id="F1"/><footnoteId id="F2"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-22</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>M</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>40000</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>31.8438</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>124663</value><footnoteId id="F1"/><footnoteId id="F2"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-22</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>40000</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>92.7381</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>84663</value><footnoteId id="F1"/><footnoteId id="F2"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Phantom Stock Units/EICP</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>0</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F4"/></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F4"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>0</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F4"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F4"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>0</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>89945.56</value><footnoteId id="F5"/><footnoteId id="F6"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Phantom Stock Units/LTPP</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>0</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F7"/></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F7"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>0</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F7"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F7"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>0</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>4908.94</value><footnoteId id="F8"/><footnoteId id="F9"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Phantom Stock Units/Stock Option Deferral</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>0</value><footnoteId id="F10"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F11"/></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F11"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>0</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F11"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F11"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>0</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>104854.56</value><footnoteId id="F12"/><footnoteId id="F13"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Reporting person also has indirect holdings in a 401(k) plan as follows:  10,688.12 shares of common stock and 1,226.162 shares of preferred stock.  </footnote><footnote id="F2">The reporting person has indirect ownership of 1,079.04 shares though ownership by spouse.</footnote><footnote id="F3">The phantom stock units convert to the common stock's cash value on a one-for-one basis.</footnote><footnote id="F4">The phantom stock units were accrued under the Johnson Controls Executive Incentive Compensation Plan and are to be settled 100% in cash upon the reporting person's retirement.  This is a &quot;dummy date&quot; entered only for SEC electronic filing purposes.</footnote><footnote id="F5">Includes 376.70 phantom stock units acquired pursuant to the reinvestment of dividends on June 30, 2003 at $85.60 per phantom stock unit.</footnote><footnote id="F6">Pursuant to a domestic relations order and Rule 16a-1(a)(2), for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of 44,972.78 units of phantom stock. </footnote><footnote id="F7">The phantom stock units were accrued under the Johnson Controls Long-Term Performance Plan and are to be settled 100% in cash upon the reporting person's retirement.  This is a &quot;dummy date&quot; entered only for SEC electronic filing purposes.</footnote><footnote id="F8">Includes 20.56 phantom stock units acquired pursuant to the reinvestment of dividends on June 30, 2003 at $85.60 per phantom stock unit.</footnote><footnote id="F9">Pursuant to a domestic relations order and Rule 16a-1(a)(2), for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of 2,454.47 units of phantom stock. </footnote><footnote id="F10">The phantom stock units convert on a one-for-one basis as follows:  101,897 to stock at the time of the reporting person's retirement and 2957.56 convert to the common stock's cash value.  See additional information on disclaimer of a portion of these holdings in footnote 13.</footnote><footnote id="F11">The phantom stock units were accrued under the Johnson Controls Stock Option Deferral Policy.  Payment of the stock/cash shall commence following the reporting person's retirement from employment with the company.  This is a &quot;dummy date&quot; entered only for SEC electronic filing purposes.</footnote><footnote id="F12">Pursuant to a domestic relations order and Rule 16a-1(a)(2), for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of 52,427.78 units of phantom stock. </footnote><footnote id="F13">Includes 439.12 phantom stock units acquired pursuant to the reinvestment of dividends on June 30, 2003 at $85.60 per phantom stock unit.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>Arlene D. Gumm, Attorney-in-Fact for James H. Keyes</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-07-23</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

