Supplemental Consolidating Data - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 423,635	$ 531,451	$ 521,759
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	232,537	264,863	222,188
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	76,326	81,315	82,911
Amortization of financing origination fees	9,823	8,367	8,045
Provision for long-term employee benefits	13,344	36,481	29,900
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(13,256)	(10,544)	(63,277)
Stock compensation expense	33,733	35,539	32,491
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	(5,822)	(56,538)	35,172
Provision for credit losses	134,536	106,870	132,444
Deferred income taxes	21,547	(33,981)	50,855
Other, net	298	37,554	8,559
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	44,902	9,143	(18,149)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	(11,119)	773	(1,313)
Inventories, net	(47,576)	(31,059)	(20,584)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(18,462)	196,192	10,128
Derivative financial instruments	1,936	473	1,866
Other	(28,110)	29,022	(27,934)
Total adjustments	444,637	674,470	483,302
Net cash provided by operating activities	868,272	1,205,921	1,005,061
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(181,440)	(213,516)	(206,294)
Origination of finance receivables	(3,847,322)	(3,752,817)	(3,591,948)
Collections on finance receivables	3,499,717	3,325,669	3,228,311
Purchases of marketable securities	0	(10,007)	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	10,007	0	6,916
Acquisition of business	(7,000)	0	0
Other investing activities	17,912	(11,598)	547
Net cash used by investing activities	(508,126)	(662,269)	(562,468)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	1,203,236	1,591,828	893,668
Repayments of medium-term notes	(1,350,000)	(877,488)	(800,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt	1,021,453	0	0
Repayments of securitization debt	(353,251)	(257,869)	(444,671)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	177,950	509,742	469,932
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(318,006)	(212,729)	(176,227)
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	(563,453)	(135,356)	212,809
Dividends paid	(237,221)	(245,810)	(251,862)
Repurchase of common stock	(296,520)	(390,606)	(465,263)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	3,589	3,525	11,353
Net cash used by financing activities	(712,223)	(14,763)	(550,261)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(2,305)	(15,351)	26,747
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(354,382)	513,538	(80,921)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	1,259,748	746,210	827,131
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(354,382)	513,538	(80,921)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	905,366	1,259,748	746,210
Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from securitization debt	0
Reportable Legal Entities | HDMC Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	403,042	553,640	578,727
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	223,656	260,707	215,639
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	672	663	655
Provision for long-term employee benefits	13,344	36,481	29,900
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(13,256)	(10,544)	(63,277)
Stock compensation expense	30,396	31,855	29,570
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	20,952	(41,905)	29,949
Other, net	4,425	36,840	4,858
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	53,772	43,613	(6,792)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0	0	0
Inventories, net	(47,576)	(31,059)	(20,584)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(43,211)	152,930	9,753
Derivative financial instruments	1,808	337	1,785
Other	(33,105)	39,031	(31,868)
Total adjustments	211,877	518,949	199,588
Net cash provided by operating activities	614,919	1,072,589	778,315
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(176,264)	(197,905)	(193,204)
Origination of finance receivables	0	0	0
Collections on finance receivables	0	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities		(10,007)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	10,007		6,916
Acquisition of business	(7,000)
Other investing activities	17,912	(11,598)	547
Net cash used by investing activities	(155,345)	(219,510)	(185,741)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	0	0	0
Repayments of medium-term notes	0	0	0
Repayments of securitization debt	0	0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	0	0	0
Dividends paid	(237,221)	(245,810)	(251,862)
Repurchase of common stock	(296,520)	(390,606)	(465,263)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	3,589	3,525	11,353
Net cash used by financing activities	(530,152)	(632,891)	(705,772)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(3,321)	(13,826)	25,844
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(73,899)	206,362	(87,354)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	544,548	338,186	425,540
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(73,899)	206,362	(87,354)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	470,649	544,548	338,186
Reportable Legal Entities | HDFS Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	200,429	212,727	139,234
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	8,881	4,156	6,549
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	76,326	81,315	82,911
Amortization of financing origination fees	9,151	7,704	7,390
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0	0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0	0	0
Stock compensation expense	3,337	3,684	2,921
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	134,536	106,870	132,444
Deferred income taxes	676	7,716	21,497
Other, net	(3,963)	798	3,498
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	0	0	0
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	(11,119)	773	(1,313)
Inventories, net	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(4,107)	(1,778)	(11,497)
Derivative financial instruments	128	136	81
Other	10,033	(10,216)	(1,684)
Total adjustments	223,879	201,158	242,797
Net cash provided by operating activities	424,308	413,885	382,031
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(5,176)	(15,611)	(13,090)
Origination of finance receivables	(7,053,898)	(7,192,063)	(7,109,624)
Collections on finance receivables	6,715,338	6,719,362	6,786,702
Purchases of marketable securities		0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	0		0
Acquisition of business	0
Other investing activities	0	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(343,736)	(488,312)	(336,012)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	1,203,236	1,591,828	893,668
Repayments of medium-term notes	(1,350,000)	(877,488)	(800,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt	1,021,453
Repayments of securitization debt	(353,251)	(257,869)	(444,671)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	177,950	509,742	469,932
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(318,006)	(212,729)	(176,227)
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	(563,453)	(135,356)	212,809
Dividends paid	(180,000)	(235,000)	(196,000)
Repurchase of common stock	0	0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	0	0	0
Net cash used by financing activities	(362,071)	383,128	(40,489)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	1,016	(1,525)	903
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(280,483)	307,176	6,433
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	715,200	408,024	401,591
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(280,483)	307,176	6,433
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	434,717	715,200	408,024
Consolidating Adjustments
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(179,836)	(234,916)	(196,202)
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	0	0	0
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0	0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0	0	0
Stock compensation expense	0	0	0
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	(5,822)	(56,538)	35,172
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(81)	208	(591)
Other, net	(164)	(84)	203
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(8,870)	(34,470)	(11,357)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	28,856	45,040	11,872
Derivative financial instruments	0	0	0
Other	(5,038)	207	5,618
Total adjustments	8,881	(45,637)	40,917
Net cash provided by operating activities	(170,955)	(280,553)	(155,285)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Origination of finance receivables	3,206,576	3,439,246	3,517,676
Collections on finance receivables	(3,215,621)	(3,393,693)	(3,558,391)
Purchases of marketable securities		0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	0		0
Acquisition of business	0
Other investing activities	0	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(9,045)	45,553	(40,715)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	0	0	0
Repayments of medium-term notes	0	0	0
Proceeds from securitization debt	0
Repayments of securitization debt	0	0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	0	0	0
Dividends paid	180,000	235,000	196,000
Repurchase of common stock	0	0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	0	0	0
Net cash used by financing activities	180,000	235,000	196,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	0	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0