Finance Receivables (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
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	$ 111		$ 111		$ 143
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	111		111		157
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	678		678		716
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	690		690		722
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	266		266		288
Recorded Investment, Total	789		789		859
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	801		801		879
Related Allowance, Total	266		266		288
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	101	$ 331	115	$ 372
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	2	3	3	8
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	694	594	702	558
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	6	6	13	9
Average Recorded Investment, Total	795	925	817	930
Interest Income Recognized, Total	8	9	16	17
Customer \| North America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	11		11		10
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	11		11		10
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	28		28		40
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	28		28		41
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	10		10		14
Recorded Investment, Total	39		39		50
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	39		39		51
Related Allowance, Total	10		10		14
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	10	18	10	18
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	1	0	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	35	56	37	53
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	45	74	47	71
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	1	1	2
Customer \| EAME
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	1		1		1
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	1		1		1
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	101		101		92
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	101		101		92
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	56		56		57
Recorded Investment, Total	102		102		93
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	102		102		93
Related Allowance, Total	56		56		57
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	1	7	1	23
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	94	48	94	32
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	1	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	95	55	95	55
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	1	1	1
Customer \| Asia/Pacific
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		1
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		1
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	10		10		4
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	10		10		4
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	3		3		2
Recorded Investment, Total	10		10		5
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	10		10		5
Related Allowance, Total	3		3		2
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	0	29	0	31
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	9	5	8	6
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	0	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	9	34	8	37
Interest Income Recognized, Total	0	0	0	1
Customer \| Mining
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	26		26		33
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	26		26		33
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	63		63		56
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	62		62		55
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	20		20		26
Recorded Investment, Total	89		89		89
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	88		88		88
Related Allowance, Total	20		20		26
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	29	45	30	78
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	1	1	2
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	39	64	42	36
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	1	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	68	109	72	114
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	2	2	3
Customer \| Latin America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	21		21		29
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	21		21		29
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	70		70		75
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	69		69		75
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	26		26		25
Recorded Investment, Total	91		91		104
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	90		90		104
Related Allowance, Total	26		26		25
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	20	43	23	44
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	0	1	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	74	65	75	76
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	2	1	3	2
Average Recorded Investment, Total	94	108	98	120
Interest Income Recognized, Total	3	1	4	3
Customer \| Caterpillar Power Finance
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	52		52		69
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	52		52		83
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0		0		0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	406		406		449
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	420		420		455
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	151		151		164
Recorded Investment, Total	458		458		518
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	472		472		538
Related Allowance, Total	151		151		164
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	41	189	51	178
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	1	1	3
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	443	356	446	355
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	4	3	7	4
Average Recorded Investment, Total	484	545	497	533
Interest Income Recognized, Total	4	$ 4	8	$ 7
Dealer \| Latin America
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Related Allowance With An Allowance Recorded	39		39		14
Recorded Investment, Total	78		78		78
Related Allowance, Total	39		39		14
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables
Financing Receivable, Impaired
Recorded Investment, Total	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0

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