Finance Receivables (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 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	$ 174		$ 174		$ 424
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	186		186		435
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	629		629		518
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	634		634		530
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	229		229		149
Recorded Investment, Total	803		803		942
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	820		820		965
Related Allowance, Total	229		229		149
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	219	$ 458	320	$ 512
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	4	5	12	18
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	593	431	573	335
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	6	5	15	10
Average Recorded Investment, Total	812	889	893	847
Interest Income Recognized, Total	10	10	27	28
Customer \| North America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	17		17		19
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	17		17		19
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	41		41		44
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	39		39		43
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	18		18		17
Recorded Investment, Total	58		58		63
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	56		56		62
Related Allowance, Total	18		18		17
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	19	14	17	12
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	1	1	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	47	44	51	52
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	66	58	68	64
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	1	2	2
Customer \| Europe
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	2		2		45
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	1		1		45
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	66		66		9
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	66		66		8
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	36		36		5
Recorded Investment, Total	68		68		54
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	67		67		53
Related Allowance, Total	36		36		5
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	4	47	17	48
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	59	6	41	6
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0	1	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	63	53	58	54
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	0	1	1
Customer \| Asia/Pacific
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	29		29		34
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	29		29		33
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	2		2		8
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	2		2		8
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	1		1		2
Recorded Investment, Total	31		31		42
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	31		31		41
Related Allowance, Total	1		1		2
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	30	30	31	22
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	1	2	2
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	2	28	5	35
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	1	0	2
Average Recorded Investment, Total	32	58	36	57
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	2	2	4
Customer \| Mining
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	34		34		121
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	34		34		121
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	58		58		0
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	58		58		0
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	22		22		0
Recorded Investment, Total	92		92		121
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	92		92		121
Related Allowance, Total	22		22		0
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	35	128	65	128
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	1	2	5
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	60	0	43	0
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	0	2	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	95	128	108	128
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	1	4	5
Customer \| Latin America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	31		31		45
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	31		31		45
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	61		61		95
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	61		61		106
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	34		34		42
Recorded Investment, Total	92		92		140
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	92		92		151
Related Allowance, Total	34		34		42
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	37	68	41	69
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	1	2	2
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	51	102	69	101
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	1	3	3
Average Recorded Investment, Total	88	170	110	170
Interest Income Recognized, Total	2	2	5	5
Customer \| Caterpillar Power Finance
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	61		61		160
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	74		74		172
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	401		401		362
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	408		408		365
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	118		118		83
Recorded Investment, Total	462		462		522
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	482		482		537
Related Allowance, Total	118		118		83
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	94	171	149	233
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	2	1	5	7
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	374	251	364	141
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	4	3	8	4
Average Recorded Investment, Total	468	422	513	374
Interest Income Recognized, Total	6	$ 4	13	$ 11
Dealer
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment, Total	0		0		0
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment, Total	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0

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