Finance Receivables (Details 7) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) contracts	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) contracts	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) contracts
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
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	62	52	144
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 209	$ 186	$ 579
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 204	$ 152	$ 557
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	12	16	252
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 15	$ 44	$ 21
Customer | North America
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	15	38	43
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 11	$ 21	$ 34
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 11	$ 21	$ 35
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	11	10	4
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 5	$ 10	$ 3
Customer | EAME
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	19	0	4
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 17	$ 0	$ 1
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 17	$ 0	$ 1
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	0	0	1
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Customer | Asia/Pacific
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	0	0	10
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 39
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 31
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	0	0	4
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 0	$ 1
Customer | Mining
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	2	1	2
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 8	$ 29	$ 57
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 8	$ 29	$ 56
Customer | Latin America
Finance receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts | contracts	5	1	17
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 5	$ 3	$ 26
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 3	$ 3	$ 27
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	0	3	243
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 0	$ 1	$ 17
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	21	12	68
Pre-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 168	$ 133	$ 422
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 165	$ 99	$ 407
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts | contracts	1	3	0
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$ 10	$ 33	$ 0
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