Financing Activities (Details 6) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 contracts	Dec. 31, 2012 contracts	Dec. 31, 2011 contracts
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts	194	199	125
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	$ 295	$ 284	$ 184
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	299	284	184
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts	26	67	70
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	7	26	101
Additional investments not recorded	25	24	15
Remaining commitments	6
Customer | North America
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts	62	98	71
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	9	15	13
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	9	15	13
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts	19	49	48
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	4	4	26
Customer | Europe
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts	51	21	7
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	7	8	44
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	7	8	44
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts	5	0	1
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	0	0	1
Customer | Asia/Pacific
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts	3	12
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	1	3
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	1	3
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts	0	2	0
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	0	1	0
Customer | Mining
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts	45
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	123
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	123
Customer | Latin America
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts	16	41	12
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	2	5	10
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	2	5	10
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts	0	0	7
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	0	0	4
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts	17	27	35
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	153	253	117
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	157	253	117
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts	2	16	14
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 3	$ 21	$ 70
Dealer
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts	0	0	0
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts	0	0	0