Finance Assets, Net (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended							3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2010 General Motors Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 General Motors Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 General Motors Corporation [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Reduction To Cumulative Lease Earnings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Interest On Tax Underpayments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Rail And Surface Transport [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Aircraft [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Electric Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Real Estate [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Manufacturing [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 American Airlines [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 American Airlines [Member]	Nov. 29, 2011 American Airlines [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 American Airlines [Member] Aircraft [Member]	Nov. 29, 2011 American Airlines [Member] Aircraft [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 American Airlines [Member] Agreement to Purchase [Member]
Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Reportable Data [Line Items]
Proceeds from asset management activities									$ 1,049,000,000	$ 490,000,000	$ 312,000,000
Total gains included in operating companies income									131,000,000	107,000,000	72,000,000
Finance assets, net	2,581,000,000				3,559,000,000				2,581,000,000	3,559,000,000
Gross investment in finance leases	2,680,000,000				3,786,000,000				2,680,000,000	3,786,000,000
Investments in financial leases, allowance for losses	99,000,000				227,000,000				99,000,000	227,000,000	202,000,000	266,000,000
Leveraged lease (benefit) charge			(68,000,000)				627,000,000		(68,000,000)	627,000,000						315,000,000	312,000,000
Reduction in cumulative lease earnings excluding penalties and interest							50.00%
Permanent charge for interest on tax underpayments							50.00%
Third-party nonrecourse debt	3,900,000,000				6,800,000,000				3,900,000,000	6,800,000,000
Lease with contingent rentals									0	0
Investment in finance leases, percentage																		24.00%	33.00%	24.00%	13.00%	6.00%
Investment outside United States, percentage	0.00%				13.00%				0.00%	13.00%
Leveraged lease revenues									149,000,000	(314,000,000)	160,000,000
Reduction to cumulative lease earnings related to the PMCC Leveraged Lease Charge	0	0	7,000,000	0	0	0	490,000,000	0	7,000,000	490,000,000
Direct finance lease revenues									1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000
Income tax (benefit) expense on leveraged lease revenues									54,000,000	(112,000,000)	58,000,000
Number of leases																											28
Investment in finance leases														93,000,000	101,000,000									6,000,000	140,000,000
Amount of Accelerated Deferred taxes Resulting From Bankruptcy Court Order																							22,000,000
Write-off against allowance for losses on investments in finance leases													64,000,000											118,000,000
Deferred taxes													34,000,000
Financial services assets lease receivables (increase) decrease to allowance						35,000,000			10,000,000	(25,000,000)																		(60,000,000)
Recoveries from sale of bankruptcy claims and aircraft																										$ 34,000,000
Lessees Current on Payment Obligations									All