Finance Receivables (Details 6) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) contracts	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) contracts	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) contracts	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) contracts	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Financing Receivable, Modifications
Remaining commitments	$ 11		$ 11		$ 3
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts \| contracts	352	31	493	78
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 152	$ 110	$ 387	$ 242
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 118	$ 96	$ 327	$ 225
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts \| contracts	4	5	35	11
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 4	$ 1
Customer \| North America
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts \| contracts	2	6	15	10
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 16	$ 1
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 16	$ 1
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts \| contracts	1	5	14	10
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 3	$ 1
Customer \| Europe
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts \| contracts	0	4	3	23
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 11	$ 2
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 8	$ 2
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts \| contracts	1	0	14	0
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 1	$ 0
Customer \| Asia/Pacific
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts \| contracts	4	1	8	21
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 1	$ 1	$ 4	$ 26
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 1	$ 1	$ 4	$ 26
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts \| contracts			3	0
Post-TDR Recorded Investment			$ 0	$ 0
Customer \| Mining
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts \| contracts	1	2	2	2
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 33	$ 15	$ 43	$ 15
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 30	$ 14	$ 35	$ 14
Customer \| Latin America
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts \| contracts	341	10	431	10
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 105	$ 1	$ 117	$ 1
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 74	$ 2	$ 87	$ 2
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts \| contracts	2	0	4	1
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Customer \| Latin America \| Amounts related to four customers
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts \| contracts	321
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 94
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 64
Customer \| Caterpillar Power Finance
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts \| contracts	4	8	34	12
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 13	$ 93	$ 196	$ 197
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 13	$ 79	$ 177	$ 180
Dealer
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts \| contracts	0	0	0	0
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts \| contracts	0	0	0	0

Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs

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+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
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-Section 50
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Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings within the previous 12 months and for which there was a payment default.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
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-Section 50
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Reflects the unfunded portion of contractual agreements to lend funds to borrowers for loans whose terms have been modified by troubled debt restructuring.

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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