Financing Activities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]
Period after which collection of future income is considered as not probable			120 days
Customer
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	$ 302		$ 302		$ 252
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	301		301		250
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	306		306		362
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	303		303		360
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	98		98		75
Recorded Investment, Total	608		608		614
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	604		604		610
Related Allowance, Total	98		98		75
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	345	$ 359	329	$ 396
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	2	2	5	7
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	307	206	300	200
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	3	3	5	4
Average Recorded Investment, Total	652	565	629	596
Interest Income Recognized, Total	5	5	10	11
Customer | North America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	11		11		14
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	11		11		14
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	6		6		6
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	6		6		6
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	2		2		1
Recorded Investment, Total	17		17		20
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	17		17		20
Related Allowance, Total	2		2		1
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	12	22	13	23
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	6	13	6	11
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	18	35	19	34
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	0	0	1
Customer | Europe
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	43		43		44
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	42		42		43
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	15		15		12
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	13		13		12
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	5		5		4
Recorded Investment, Total	58		58		56
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	55		55		55
Related Allowance, Total	5		5		4
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	42	47	43	47
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	15	16	14	18
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	0	1	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	57	63	57	65
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	0	1	0
Customer | Asia/Pacific
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	1		1		2
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	1		1		2
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	70		70		29
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	70		70		29
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	19		19		8
Recorded Investment, Total	71		71		31
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	71		71		31
Related Allowance, Total	19		19		8
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	3	4	3	5
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	41	14	34	15
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	1	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	44	18	37	20
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	1	1	1
Customer | Mining
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	66		66		29
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	66		66		29
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	23		23		138
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	23		23		137
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	6		6		9
Recorded Investment, Total	89		89		167
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	89		89		166
Related Allowance, Total	6		6		9
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	80	87	87	107
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	1	3	3
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	62	73	66	51
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	2	1	2
Average Recorded Investment, Total	142	160	153	158
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	3	4	5
Customer | Latin America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	32		32		34
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	32		32		34
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	54		54		42
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	54		54		42
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	20		20		12
Recorded Investment, Total	86		86		76
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	86		86		76
Related Allowance, Total	20		20		12
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	32	37	32	26
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	51	27	49	30
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0	1	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	83	64	81	56
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	0	1	0
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	149		149		129
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	149		149		128
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	138		138		135
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	137		137		134
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	46		46		41
Recorded Investment, Total	287		287		264
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	286		286		262
Related Allowance, Total	46		46		41
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	176	162	151	188
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	1	2	3
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	132	63	131	75
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	0	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	308	225	282	263
Interest Income Recognized, Total	2	1	3	4
Dealer
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment, Total	0		0		0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	0	0	0	0
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment, Total	0		0		$ 0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0