Finance Receivables (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
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	$ 437		$ 408
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	436		407
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	169		193
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	167		191
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	58		65
Recorded Investment, Total	606		601
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	603		598
Related Allowance, Total	58		65
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	417	$ 331
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	4	3
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	180	283
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	2	2
Average Recorded Investment, Total	597	614
Interest Income Recognized, Total	6	5
Customer \| North America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	20		12
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	20		12
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	15		14
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	13		13
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	4		4
Recorded Investment, Total	35		26
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	33		25
Related Allowance, Total	4		4
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	14	14
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	14	6
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	28	20
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	0
Customer \| Europe
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	39		41
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	39		41
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	11		11
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	11		10
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	6		5
Recorded Investment, Total	50		52
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	50		51
Related Allowance, Total	6		5
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	40	44
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	12	14
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	52	58
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	0
Customer \| Asia/Pacific
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	4		1
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	4		1
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	35		34
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	35		34
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	5		4
Recorded Investment, Total	39		35
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	39		35
Related Allowance, Total	5		4
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	2	4
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	33	26
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	35	30
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	0
Customer \| Mining
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	79		84
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	79		84
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	11		11
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	11		11
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	4		3
Recorded Investment, Total	90		95
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	90		95
Related Allowance, Total	4		3
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	81	102
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	2
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	11	63
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	92	165
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	3
Customer \| Latin America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	27		28
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	27		28
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	53		53
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	53		53
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	22		21
Recorded Investment, Total	80		81
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	80		81
Related Allowance, Total	22		21
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	27	32
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	51	46
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	78	78
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	1
Customer \| Caterpillar Power Finance
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	268		242
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	267		241
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	44		70
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	44		70
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	17		28
Recorded Investment, Total	312		312
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	311		311
Related Allowance, Total	17		28
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	253	135
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	3	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	59	128
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	312	263
Interest Income Recognized, Total	3	$ 1
Dealer
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment, Total	0		0
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment, Total	$ 0		$ 0

Amount of allowance for credit losses related to recorded investment.

No definition available.

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
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- Definition

This element represents the period after which collection of future income is considered as not probable.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Average amount of investment of impaired financing receivables with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=d3e5212-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 17
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=d3e5258-111524

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- Definition

Amount of interest income recognized on a cash-basis method of accounting that the financing receivables (with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses) were impaired.

+ References

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- Definition

Amount of investment of impaired financing receivables with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 14A
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=SL6953550-111524

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- Definition

Amount of allowance for credit losses related to recorded investment.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of unpaid principal balance of impaired financing receivables with related allowance for credit losses and without related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of average investment of impaired financing receivables for which there is no related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 17
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=d3e5258-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=d3e5212-111524

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest income, recognized on cash basis, on financing receivables, for which there is no related allowance for credit losses and are recognized as impaired.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of investment in impaired financing receivables for which there is no related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

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- Definition

Amount of unpaid principal balance of impaired financing receivables for which there is no related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

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- Definition

Amount of average investment of impaired financing receivables for which there is a related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest income on financing receivables, for which there is a related allowance for credit losses, recognized on a cash-basis method of accounting that the financing receivables were impaired.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of investment in impaired financing receivables for which there is a related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

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- Definition

Unpaid principal balance of impaired financing receivables for which there is a related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

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- References

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