Finance Receivables (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
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	$ 342		$ 424
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	354		435
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	631		518
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	631		530
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	194		149
Recorded Investment, Total	973		942
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	985		965
Related Allowance, Total	194		149
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	405	$ 535
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	5	5
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	541	271
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	3	3
Average Recorded Investment, Total	946	806
Interest Income Recognized, Total	8	8
Customer \| North America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	16		19
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	16		19
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	60		44
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	58		43
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	21		17
Recorded Investment, Total	76		63
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	74		62
Related Allowance, Total	21		17
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	17	10
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	51	61
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	68	71
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	0
Customer \| Europe
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	7		45
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	7		45
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	49		9
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	49		8
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	13		5
Recorded Investment, Total	56		54
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	56		53
Related Allowance, Total	13		5
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	36	49
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	19	6
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	55	55
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	0
Customer \| Asia/Pacific
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	28		34
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	28		33
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	5		8
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	5		8
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	1		2
Recorded Investment, Total	33		42
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	33		41
Related Allowance, Total	1		2
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	32	9
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	7	45
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	39	54
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	1
Customer \| Mining
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	50		121
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	50		121
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	67		0
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	67		0
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	18		0
Recorded Investment, Total	117		121
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	117		121
Related Allowance, Total	18		0
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	103	128
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	17	0
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	120	128
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	1
Customer \| Latin America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	46		45
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	46		45
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	71		95
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	71		106
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	40		42
Recorded Investment, Total	117		140
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	117		151
Related Allowance, Total	40		42
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	45	72
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	87	96
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	132	168
Interest Income Recognized, Total	2	2
Customer \| Caterpillar Power Finance
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	195		160
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	207		172
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	379		362
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	381		365
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	101		83
Recorded Investment, Total	574		522
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	588		537
Related Allowance, Total	101		83
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	172	267
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	2	3
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	360	63
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	532	330
Interest Income Recognized, Total	3	$ 4
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=84173941&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=84173941&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=84173941&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=84173941&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=84173941&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

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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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Balance Type:	debit
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

No definition available.

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