Finance Receivables (Details 7) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) contracts	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) contracts	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) contracts
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	144	574	94
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 579	$ 454	$ 354
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	557	387	$ 338
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Remaining commitments	$ 0	$ 11
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	0	0	0
Dealer
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	0	0	0
Customer
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	252	15	19
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 21	$ 5	$ 2
Customer | North America
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	43	25	14
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 34	$ 25	$ 1
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 35	$ 25	$ 1
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	4	5	7
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 3	$ 2	$ 1
Customer | Europe
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	4	43	23
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 1	$ 12	$ 2
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 1	$ 9	$ 2
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	1	5	0
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 2	$ 0
Customer | Asia/Pacific
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	10	31	21
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 39	$ 29	$ 26
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 31	$ 28	$ 26
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	4	1	0
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 1	$ 0	$ 0
Customer | Mining
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	2	4	4
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 57	$ 74	$ 65
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 56	$ 66	$ 65
Customer | Latin America
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	17	437	11
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 26	$ 118	$ 1
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 27	$ 82	$ 2
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	243	4	12
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 17	$ 1	$ 1
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 | Latin America | Amounts related to two customers
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	238
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 16
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	68	34	21
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 422	$ 196	$ 259
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 407	$ 177	$ 242
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | Amounts related to six customers
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	48
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 265
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 258