Debt (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010	Oct. 31, 2011 Manufacturing [Member]		Oct. 31, 2010 Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Financial Services [Member]		Oct. 31, 2010 Financial Services [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Senior Notes [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Senior Notes [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2009 Senior Notes [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Senior Subordinated Convertible Notes [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Senior Subordinated Convertible Notes [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Debt Of Majority-Owned Dealerships [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Debt Of Majority-Owned Dealerships [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Financing Arrangements and Capital Lease Obligations [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Financing Arrangements and Capital Lease Obligations [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Other [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Other [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Asset-Backed Debt [Member] Financial Services [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Asset-Backed Debt [Member] Financial Services [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Tax Exempt Bond [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Tax Exempt Bond [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Bank Revolvers [Member] Financial Services [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Bank Revolvers [Member] Financial Services [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Commercial Paper [Member] Financial Services [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Commercial Paper [Member] Financial Services [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Borrowings Secured By Operating and Finance Leases [Member] Financial Services [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Borrowings Secured By Operating and Finance Leases [Member] Financial Services [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 NC2 Global, LLC [Member] Promissory Note [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 NC2 Global, LLC [Member] Promissory Note [Member] Manufacturing [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 NC2 Global, LLC [Member] Promissory Note [Member] Manufacturing [Member]
Long-term Debt, by Current and Noncurrent [Abstract]
Long-term debt	$ 4,856		$ 1,980	[1]	$ 1,986	$ 2,876	[2]	$ 2,884	$ 967	$ 965		$ 497	$ 476	$ 94	$ 66	$ 118	$ 221	$ 39	$ 33	$ 1,664	$ 1,731	$ 225	$ 225	$ 1,072	$ 974	$ 70	$ 67	$ 70	$ 112	$ 40	$ 40	$ 0
Stated interest rate									8.25%			3.00%										6.50%
Unamortized discount	106		106	[1]		0	[2]		33	35	37	73	94
Less: Current portion	(1,379)	(632)	99		145	1,280		487
Net long-term debt	$ 3,477	$ 4,238	$ 1,881		$ 1,841	$ 1,596		$ 2,397

[1] Amounts include the borrowing of $100 million under the Asset-Based Credit Facility in November 2011, reflected as being due in 2017.

[2] Amounts reflect the NFC refinancing of its bank credit facility in December 2011 with a five-year revolving line of credit and term loan, totaling $840 million, which shifted certain debt maturities to be largely due in 2017.