Finance Receivables (Details 5) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	$ 28,077	$ 26,787
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	3,949	4,297
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | 31-60 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	21	28
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | 61-90 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	10	11
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | 91+ days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	23	22
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Total Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	54	61
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Current
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	3,895	4,236
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | North America
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	2,236	2,480
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | North America | 31-60 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	15	11
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | North America | 61-90 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	5	7
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | North America | 91+ days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	4	4
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | North America | Total Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	24	22
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | North America | Current
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	2,212	2,458
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | EAME
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	737	815
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | EAME | 31-60 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	3	1
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | EAME | 61-90 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	1	0
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | EAME | 91+ days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	1	2
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | EAME | Total Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	5	3
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | EAME | Current
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	732	812
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Asia/Pacific
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	595	565
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Asia/Pacific | 31-60 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	2	6
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Asia/Pacific | 61-90 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	0	2
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Asia/Pacific | 91+ days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	0	2
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Asia/Pacific | Total Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	2	10
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Asia/Pacific | Current
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	593	555
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Latin America
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	371	431
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Latin America | 31-60 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	1	9
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Latin America | 61-90 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	4	2
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Latin America | 91+ days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	18	14
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Latin America | Total Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	23	25
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Latin America | Current
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	348	406
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Power
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	10	6
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Power | 31-60 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	0	1
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Power | 61-90 days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	0	0
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Power | 91+ days past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	0	0
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Power | Total Past Due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	0	1
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables | Power | Current
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	10	5
Dealer
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	2,951	2,137
Dealer | Total past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due
Prior	$ 47	$ 62