Earnings Per Share Attributable to Navistar International Corporation (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended																9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2011		Jul. 31, 2011		Apr. 30, 2011		Jan. 31, 2011		Oct. 31, 2010		Jul. 31, 2010		Apr. 30, 2010		Jan. 31, 2010		Jul. 31, 2010	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010	Oct. 31, 2009
Numerator:
Net income attributable to Navistar International Corporation available to common stockholders																		$ 1,723,000,000	$ 223,000,000	297,000,000
Extraordinary gain, net of tax																		0	0	23,000,000
Net income attributable to Navistar International Corporation	255,000,000	[1],[2],[3]	1,400,000,000	[1],[3]	74,000,000	[1]	(6,000,000)	[1]	44,000,000	[1],[2],[4]	117,000,000	[1],[2]	43,000,000	[1],[2]	19,000,000	[1],[2]		1,723,000,000	223,000,000	320,000,000
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)																		72,800,000	71,700,000	71,000,000
Effect of dilutive securities (in shares)																		3,300,000	1,500,000	800,000
Diluted (in shares)																		76,100,000	73,200,000	71,800,000
Basic earnings per share:
Income attributable to Navistar International Corporation before extraordinary gain (in dollars per share)																		$ 23.66	$ 3.11	4.18
Extraordinary gain, net of tax (in dollars per share)																		$ 0.00	$ 0.00	0.33
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 3.52	[2],[3]	$ 19.10	[3]	$ 1.01		$ (0.08)		$ 0.62	[2],[4]	$ 1.61	[2]	$ 0.61	[2]	$ 0.27	[2]		$ 23.66	$ 3.11	4.51
Diluted earnings per share:
Income attributable to Navistar International Corporation before extraordinary gain (in dollars per share)																		$ 22.64	$ 3.05	4.14
Extraordinary gain, net of tax (in dollars per share)																		$ 0.00	$ 0.00	0.32
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 3.48	[2],[3]	$ 18.24	[3]	$ 0.93		$ (0.08)		$ 0.61	[2],[4]	$ 1.56	[2]	$ 0.60	[2]	$ 0.26	[2]		$ 22.64	$ 3.05	4.46
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share																	11,300,000	900,000	11,500,000	22,900,000
Convertible Debt Securities [Member]
Diluted earnings per share:
Conversion ratio, shares of common stock (in shares)																		19.891
Conversion ratio basis, amount																		1,000
Conversion price, per share of common stock (dollars per share)	$ 50.27																	$ 50.27
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share																	11,300,000	11,300,000		11,300,000
Warrants [Member]
Diluted earnings per share:
Exercise price (in dollars per share)																		$ 60.14
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share																	11,300,000		11,300,000	11,300,000
Parent Company [Member]
Numerator:
Net income attributable to Navistar International Corporation																		$ 1,723,000,000	$ 223,000,000	320,000,000

[1] We record adjustments to our product warranty accrual to reflect changes in our estimate of warranty costs for products sold in prior periods. Such adjustments typically occur when claims experience deviates from historic and expected trends.

[2] Starting with the first quarter of 2011, the Company changed its method of accruing for certain incentive compensation, specifically relating to cash bonuses, for interim reporting purposes from a ratable method to a performance-based method. The Company believes that the performance-based method is preferable because it links the accrual of incentive compensation with the achievement of performance. This change did not have an impact on our annual financial results. We have revised our previously reported Quarterly Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Financial Data on a retrospective basis to reflect this change in principle based on information that would have been available as of our previous filing.

[3] In the fourth quarter of 2011, certain out-of-period adjustments were recorded related to the partial release of the Company's income tax valuation allowance. The adjustments of approximately $61 million primarily related to the classification of a deferred tax item and resulted in the Company recognizing an additional income tax benefit. The Company should have recognized the income tax benefit for this amount in the third quarter of 2011 with the release of a portion of the Company's income tax valuation allowance. Correcting the error was not material to any of the related periods.

[4] In the fourth quarter of 2010, we recorded out-of-period adjustments of $10 million. See Note 1, Summary of significant accounting policies.