Fair Value Measurements (Fair Value) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified																																																															12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2012	Oct. 31, 2011	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Commodity Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Commodity Contract [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Foreign Currency Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Foreign Currency Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] US Treasury Bill Securities [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] US Treasury Bill Securities [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Other US and Non-US Government Bonds [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Other US and Non-US Government Bonds [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Other [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Other [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Commodity Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Commodity Contract [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Foreign Currency Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Foreign Currency Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] US Treasury Bill Securities [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] US Treasury Bill Securities [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Other US and Non-US Government Bonds [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Other US and Non-US Government Bonds [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Other [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Other [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Commodity Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Commodity Contract [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Foreign Currency Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Foreign Currency Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] US Treasury Bill Securities [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] US Treasury Bill Securities [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Other US and Non-US Government Bonds [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Other US and Non-US Government Bonds [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Other [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Other [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Commodity Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Commodity Contract [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Foreign Currency Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Foreign Currency Contract [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] US Treasury Bill Securities [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] US Treasury Bill Securities [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Other US and Non-US Government Bonds [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Other US and Non-US Government Bonds [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Other [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Other [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Carrying Value [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Carrying Value [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]		Oct. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]		Oct. 31, 2011 Cash Equivalents [Member] Maximum [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Securities Investment [Member] Minimum [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Manufacturing Operations [Member] Convertible Subordinated Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage																																																																	3.00%
Fair Value Disclosure Cash Equivalents Restricted Cash Equivalents Marketable Securities Maturity Period																																																															90 days	90 days
Assets
Available-for-sale securities										$ 249	$ 283	$ 68	$ 415	$ 20	$ 20								$ 249	$ 283	$ 68	$ 415	$ 20	$ 20								$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0								$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Derivative financial instruments:
Asset derivatives					1	1	0	3										0	0	0	0										1	0	0	3										0	1	0	0
Total assets			338	722												337	718												1	3												0	1
Derivative financial instruments:
Liability derivatives					3	6	1		4									0	0	0		0									3	3	1		4									0	3	0		0
Guarantees			7	6												0	0												0	0												7	6
Total liabilities			11	16												0	0												4	7												7	9
Finance receivables																																																							6	5	16	15	6	[1]	5	[1]
Specific loss reserves on impaired finance receivables	$ 10	$ 10																																																					$ 10	$ 10

[1] Certain impaired finance receivables are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. An impairment charge is recorded for the amount by which the carrying value of the receivables exceeds the fair value of the underlying collateral, net of remarketing costs. As of April 30, 2012, impaired receivables with a carrying amount of $16 million had specific loss reserves of $10 million and a fair value of $6 million. As of October 31, 2011, impaired receivables with a carrying amount of $15 million had specific loss reserves of $10 million and a fair value of $5 million. Fair values of the underlying collateral are determined by reference to dealer vehicle value publications adjusted for certain market factors.