Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2019 USD ($) employees	Jul. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2019 USD ($) employees segments	Oct. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Nov. 01, 2019 USD ($)	Nov. 01, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Payments for (Proceeds From) Investment in Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents										$ 0	$ 0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities									$ (68)	(66)	(520)
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Cumulative Effect of Change on Equity or Net Assets	$ 10								10
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	37			$ 27					37
Sales of manufactured products, net									11,061
Accounts Receivable, Net, Current	(338)				$ (456)				$ (338)	(456)			$ (438)
Number of Reportable Segments | segments									4
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit)									$ 263	105	118
Less: Intercompany revenues									104	97	93
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax									4	2	16
Advertising Expense									31	31	26
Product Warranty Accrual, Preexisting, Increase (Decrease)									3	(9)	(1)
Inventory, Net	(911)				(1,110)				(911)	(1,110)			(1,019)
Other current assets	277				189				277	189			290
Assets, Current	4,952				5,136				4,952	5,136			5,128
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	(1,309)				(1,370)				(1,309)	(1,370)			(1,261)
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	(117)				(121)				(117)	(121)			(122)
Other Assets, Noncurrent	(107)				(113)				(107)	(113)			(110)
Assets	(6,917)				(7,230)				(6,917)	(7,230)			(7,111)
Debt, Current	(871)				(946)				(871)	(946)			(931)
Other current liabilities	1,363				1,255				1,363	1,255			1,268
Liabilities, Current	(3,575)				(3,807)				(3,575)	(3,807)			(3,805)
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	(4,317)				(4,521)				(4,317)	(4,521)			(4,463)
Other noncurrent liabilities	645				731				645	731			709
Liabilities	(10,640)				(11,156)				(10,640)	(11,156)			(11,074)
Stockholders’ equity (deficit) attributable to Navistar International Corporation	(3,726)				(3,931)				(3,726)	(3,931)			(3,968)
Liabilities and Equity	(6,917)				(7,230)				(6,917)	(7,230)			(7,111)
Cost of Goods and Services Sold									(9,245)	(8,317)	(7,037)
Interest Expense									(312)	(327)	(351)
Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent, before Tax									262
Income tax expense									(19)	(52)	(10)
Net income (loss)	102	$ 156	$ (48)	$ 11	188	$ 170	$ 55	$ (73)	243	368	55
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Period Increase (Decrease), Including Exchange Rate Effect										605	(76)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	$ 1,557				1,445				$ 1,557	1,445	840			$ 916
Unionized Employees Concentration Risk [Member] | Number Of Employees Hourly Workers [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration Risk Number Of Employees | employees	7,400								7,400
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%
Navistar Defense [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Less: Intercompany revenues		57
Accounts Receivable, Related Parties		$ 29
North America Truck [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Assets	$ (1,705)				(2,085)				$ (1,705)	(2,085)
Interest Expense									0	0	0
Income tax expense									$ 0	0	0
Minimum [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Product Warranty Coverage Period									1 year
Related party ownership percentage	30.00%								30.00%
Maximum [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Product Warranty Coverage Period									5 years
Related party ownership percentage	50.00%								50.00%
TRATON AG [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Less: Intercompany revenues									$ 157	146	119
Related party ownership percentage	16.80%								16.80%
Costs and Expenses, Related Party									$ 37	27	7
Accounts Receivable, Related Parties	$ 13				10				13	10
Accounts Payable, Related Parties	$ 55				25				$ 55	25
Navistar Defense [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Related party ownership percentage	30.00%								30.00%
Accounting Standard Update 2017-07 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Change on Operating Results										94	127
Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606 [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Payments for (Proceeds From) Investment in Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents										9	(22)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities										(57)	(542)
Sales of manufactured products, net									$ 11,102
Accounts Receivable, Net, Current	$ (362)				(456)				(362)	(456)
Inventory, Net	(968)				(1,110)				(968)	(1,110)
Other current assets	208				189				208	189
Assets, Current	4,964				5,136				4,964	5,136
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	(1,513)				(1,370)				(1,513)	(1,370)
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	(116)				(121)				(116)	(121)
Other Assets, Noncurrent	(116)				(113)				(116)	(113)
Assets	(7,141)				(7,230)				(7,141)	(7,230)
Debt, Current	(883)				(946)				(883)	(946)
Other current liabilities	1,349				1,255				1,349	1,255
Liabilities, Current	(3,573)				(3,807)				(3,573)	(3,807)
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	(4,363)				(4,521)				(4,363)	(4,521)
Other noncurrent liabilities	796				731				796	731
Liabilities	(10,835)				(11,156)				(10,835)	(11,156)
Stockholders’ equity (deficit) attributable to Navistar International Corporation	(3,697)				(3,931)				(3,697)	(3,931)
Liabilities and Equity	(7,141)				(7,230)				(7,141)	(7,230)
Cost of Goods and Services Sold									(9,301)
Interest Expense									(315)
Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent, before Tax									244
Income tax expense									19
Net income (loss)									225
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Period Increase (Decrease), Including Exchange Rate Effect										614	(98)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents					1,320					1,320	706			804
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Payments for (Proceeds From) Investment in Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents										(9)	22
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities										(9)	22
Sales of manufactured products, net									(41)
Accounts Receivable, Net, Current	(24)								(24)				(18)
Inventory, Net	(57)								(57)				(91)
Other current assets	69								69				101
Assets, Current	(12)								(12)				(8)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	(204)								(204)				(109)
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	1								1				(1)
Other Assets, Noncurrent	(9)								(9)				(3)
Assets	(224)								(224)				(119)
Debt, Current	(12)								(12)				(15)
Other current liabilities	14								14				13
Liabilities, Current	(2)								(2)				(2)
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	(46)								(46)				(58)
Other noncurrent liabilities	(151)								(151)				(22)
Liabilities	(195)								(195)				(82)
Stockholders’ equity (deficit) attributable to Navistar International Corporation	(29)								(29)				(37)
Liabilities and Equity	$ (224)								(224)				$ (119)
Cost of Goods and Services Sold									(56)
Interest Expense									(3)
Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent, before Tax									18
Income tax expense									0
Net income (loss)									$ 18
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Period Increase (Decrease), Including Exchange Rate Effect										(9)	22
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents					$ 125					$ 125	$ 134			$ 112
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset												$ 125
Operating Lease, Liability												125
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset												160
Operating Lease, Liability												$ 160