Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2019 USD ($) employees segments	Jul. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2019 USD ($) employees segments	Jul. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Nov. 01, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Document Period End Date			Jul. 31, 2019
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption					$ 27
Selling, General and Administrative Expense	$ (167)	$ (222)	$ (726)	$ (613)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities			(9)	60
Sales of Manufactured Products	2,996	2,566	8,330	6,815
Accounts Receivable, Net, Current	(429)		(429)			$ (448)	$ (456)
Property and equipment, net	(1,290)		(1,290)			(1,261)	(1,370)
Liabilities, Current	(3,805)		(3,805)			(3,805)	(3,807)
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	(4,528)		(4,528)			(4,463)	(4,521)
Other Liabilities, Noncurrent	692		692			709	731
Liabilities	(10,954)		(10,954)			(11,074)	(11,156)
Assets	(7,294)		(7,294)			(7,121)	(7,230)
Debt, Current	(676)		(676)			(931)	(946)
Other Liabilities, Current	1,323		1,323			1,268	1,255
Cost of Goods and Services Sold	$ (2,501)	(2,096)	$ (6,973)	(5,615)
Number Of Segments | segments	4		4
Goodwill	$ 38		$ 38				38
Interest expense	(76)	(82)	(243)	(240)
Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent, before Tax	190	180	144	197
Capital expenditures	24	26	90	79
Proceeds from finance lease obligations			13	48
Product Warranty Accrual, Preexisting, Increase (Decrease)			$ 7	(4)
Document Type			10-Q
Inventory, Gross	251		$ 251				154
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(29)	(3)	(9)	(25)
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent	(3,663)		(3,663)			(3,958)	(3,931)
Inventory, Net	(1,195)		(1,195)			(1,019)	(1,110)
Other Assets, Current	273		273			290	189
Assets, Current	5,326		5,326			5,138	5,136
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	(124)		(124)			(122)	(121)
Other Assets, Noncurrent	(112)		(112)			(110)	(113)
Liabilities and Equity	(7,294)		(7,294)			(7,121)	(7,230)
Other Operating Income (Expense), Net	(25)	55	(140)	(36)
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 161	177	$ 135	172
Unionized Employees Concentration Risk [Member] | Number Of Employees Hourly Workers [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration Risk Number Of Employees | employees	8,300		8,300
concentration risk number of employees percentage	98.00%		98.00%
Unionized Employees Concentration Risk [Member] | Number of Employees Salaried Workers [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration Risk Number Of Employees | employees	700		700
concentration risk number of employees percentage	13.00%		13.00%
Traton Group [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Less: Intercompany revenues	$ 42	33	$ 113	114
Costs and Expenses, Related Party	11	2	29	21
Accounts Receivable, Related Parties	16		16				10
Accounts Payable, Related Parties	48		48				25
Navistar Defense [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Less: Intercompany revenues	9		43
Accounts Receivable, Related Parties	29		29
North America Truck [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Assets	(1,942)		(1,942)				(2,085)
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Capital expenditures	17	19	69	74
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0	$ 0	0	$ 0
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Sales of Manufactured Products	(2)		23
Accounts Receivable, Net, Current	(3)		(3)			(8)
Property and equipment, net	(195)		(195)			(109)
Liabilities, Current	(5)		(5)			(2)
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	(49)		(49)			(58)
Other Liabilities, Noncurrent	(132)		(132)			(22)
Liabilities	(176)		(176)			(82)
Assets	(198)		(198)			(109)
Debt, Current	(13)		(13)			(15)
Other Liabilities, Current	18		18			13
Cost of Goods and Services Sold	(3)		(8)
Interest expense	(1)		(3)
Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent, before Tax	2		18
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0		3
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent	(22)		(22)			(27)
Inventory, Net	(53)		(53)			(91)
Other Assets, Current	63		63			101
Assets, Current	7		7			2
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	(2)		(2)			(1)
Other Assets, Noncurrent	(8)		(8)			(3)
Liabilities and Equity	(198)		(198)			$ (109)
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	2		15
Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606 [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Sales of Manufactured Products	2,998		8,307
Accounts Receivable, Net, Current	(432)		(432)				(456)
Property and equipment, net	(1,485)		(1,485)				(1,370)
Liabilities, Current	(3,800)		(3,800)				(3,807)
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	(4,577)		(4,577)				(4,521)
Other Liabilities, Noncurrent	824		824				731
Liabilities	(11,130)		(11,130)				(11,156)
Assets	(7,492)		(7,492)				(7,230)
Debt, Current	(689)		(689)				(946)
Other Liabilities, Current	1,305		1,305				1,255
Cost of Goods and Services Sold	(2,504)		(6,965)
Interest expense	(77)		(246)
Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent, before Tax	188		126
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	29		6
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent	(3,641)		(3,641)				(3,931)
Inventory, Net	(1,248)		(1,248)				(1,110)
Other Assets, Current	210		210				189
Assets, Current	5,319		5,319				5,136
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	(126)		(126)				(121)
Other Assets, Noncurrent	(120)		(120)				(113)
Liabilities and Equity	(7,492)		(7,492)				$ (7,230)
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 159		$ 120
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale or Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Extended Product Warranty Accrual					$ 2