Finance Receivables - Schedule of Finance Revenues (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2017	Jan. 31, 2016
Finance Revenues [Line Items]
Retail notes and finance leases revenue	$ 9	$ 10
Gross finance revenues	54	59
Less: Intercompany revenues	(20)	(24)
Finance revenues	34	35
Financing Receivable [Member]
Finance Revenues [Line Items]
Operating lease revenue	17	16
Wholesale Portfolio [Member] \| Notes Receivable [Member]
Finance Revenues [Line Items]
Interest Income, Operating	23	26
Retail And Wholesale Portfolios [Member]
Finance Revenues [Line Items]
Interest Income, Operating	$ 5	$ 7

Finance Revenue [Line Items]

No definition available.

Name:	nav_FinanceRevenueLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	nav_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Finance Revenues From On Balance Sheet Receivables

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nav_FinanceRevenuesFromOnBalanceSheetReceivables
Namespace Prefix:	nav_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Retail Notes And Finance Leases Revenue

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nav_RetailNotesAndFinanceLeasesRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	nav_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The aggregate financial services revenue and operating interest income earned during the reporting period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialServicesRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of operating interest income, including, but not limited to, amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on securities.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestIncomeOperating
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The total amount of revenue recognized for the period from operating leases, including minimum lease revenue, contingent revenue, percentage revenue and sublease revenue.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7501430&loc=d3e39896-112707

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesIncomeStatementLeaseRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue, fees and commissions earned from transactions between (a) a parent company and its subsidiaries; (b) subsidiaries of a common parent; (c) an entity and trusts for the benefit of employees, for example, but not limited to, pension and profit-sharing trusts that are managed by or under the trusteeship of the entity's management; (d) an entity and its principal, owners, management, or members of their immediate families; and (e) affiliates.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(e))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Related Parties
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=16382449

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 946
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.6-07.1(c))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6488393&loc=d3e606610-122999

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueFromRelatedParties
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=us-gaap_FinanceReceivablesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=nav_WholesalePortfolioMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=us-gaap_NotesReceivableMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=nav_RetailAndWholesalePortfoliosMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: