| **Segment reporting**            | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      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| **Segment Reporting [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     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| Segment reporting                | Segment ReportingThe following is a description of our four reporting segments:•Our Truck segment manufactures and distributes a full line of Class 4 through 8 trucks, buses, and military vehicles under the International and IC Bus ("IC") brands. Our Truck segment also produces chassis for motor homes and commercial step-van vehicles under the WCC brand and recreational vehicles. In an effort to strengthen and maintain our dealer network, this segment occasionally acquires and operates dealer locations for the purpose of transitioning ownership.•Our Engine segment designs and manufactures diesel engines for use globally, in Class 3 through 8 vehicles, as well as off-road applications. In North America, these engines primarily go into our Class 6 and 7 medium trucks and buses and Class 8 heavy trucks, and are sold to original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs"). In addition, our Engine segment produces diesel engines in Brazil primarily under the MWM brand for sale to OEMs in South America, as well as contract manufacturing. In all other areas of the world, including North America, engines are sold under the MaxxForce brand name. To control cost and technology, our Engine segment has expanded its operations to include Pure Power Technologies ("PPT"), a components company focused on air, fuel, and aftertreatment systems to meet more stringent Euro and EPA emission standards. Also included in the Engine segment are the operating results of BDP, which manages the sourcing, merchandising, and distribution of certain service parts we sell to Ford in North America.•Our Parts segment provides customers with proprietary products needed to support the International commercial and military truck, IC Bus, WCC chassis, and MaxxForce engine lines. Our Parts segment also provides a wide selection of other standard truck, trailer, and engine aftermarket parts. At July 31, 2012, this segment operated eleven regional parts distribution centers that provide 24-hour availability and shipment.•Our Financial Services segment provides retail, wholesale, and lease financing of products sold by the Truck and Parts segments and their dealers within the U.S. and Mexico, as well as financing for wholesale accounts and selected retail accounts receivable.Corporate contains those items that are not included in our four segments.In June 2012, the Company announced changes to its organizational structure. In August 2012, the Company announced that Daniel C. Ustian, its Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, who was the Company's Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM"), informed the Board of Directors of his retirement which was effective immediately and his concurrent resignation from the Board of Directors. While there were no changes to the Company's segment reporting through July 31, 2012, the Company continues to assess the impact, if any, that the change in the CODM and ongoing changes to its organization structure will have on the Company's segment reporting. Segment Profit (Loss)We define segment profit (loss) as net income (loss) attributable to Navistar International Corporation excluding income tax benefit (expense). Operating results for interim reporting periods are not necessarily indicative of annual operating results. Selected financial information is as follows:(in millions)Truck(A) Engine Parts(A) FinancialServices(B) CorporateandEliminations TotalThree Months Ended July 31, 2012           External sales and revenues, net$2,323 $441 $513 $42 $— $3,319Intersegment sales and revenues13 399 29 22 (463) —Total sales and revenues, net$2,336 $840 $542 $64 $(463) $3,319Net income (loss) attributable to NIC$(30) $(47) $73 $22 $66 $84Income tax benefit— — — — 196 196Segment profit (loss)$(30) $(47) $73 $22 $(130) $(112)Depreciation and amortization$41 $28 $2 $9 $6 $86Interest expense— — — 20 39 59Equity in income (loss) of non-consolidated affiliates(12) 1 1 — — (10)Capital expenditures(C)21 39 6 1 7 74Three Months Ended July 31, 2011           External sales and revenues, net$2,457 $546 $487 $47 $— $3,537Intersegment sales and revenues— 422 29 26 (477) —Total sales and revenues, net$2,457 $968 $516 $73 $(477) $3,537Net income (loss) attributable to NIC$(75) $32 $70 $30 $1,343 $1,400Income tax benefit— — — — 1,463 1,463Segment profit (loss)$(75) $32 $70 $30 $(120) $(63)Depreciation and amortization$37 $32 $2 $8 $5 $84Interest expense— — — 28 34 62Equity in income (loss) of non-consolidated affiliates(22) (1) 1 — — (22)Capital expenditures(C)15 47 7 1 36 106Nine Months Ended July 31, 2012Truck(A) Engine Parts(A) FinancialServices(B) CorporateandEliminations TotalExternal sales and revenues, net$6,830 $1,301 $1,409 $129 $— $9,669Intersegment sales and revenues26 1,292 98 70 (1,486) —Total sales and revenues, net$6,856 $2,593 $1,507 $199 $(1,486) $9,669Net income (loss) attributable to NIC$(160) $(275) $164 $75 $(45) $(241)Income tax benefit— — — — 410 410Segment profit (loss)$(160) $(275) $164 $75 $(455) $(651)Depreciation and amortization$111 $87 $8 $25 $15 $246Interest expense— — — 67 115 182Equity in income (loss) of non-consolidated affiliates(27) 2 4 — — (21)Capital expenditures(C)53 116 18 2 61 250Nine Months Ended July 31, 2011           External sales and revenues, net$6,510 $1,526 $1,445 $154 $— $9,635Intersegment sales and revenues18 1,180 128 75 (1,401) —Total sales and revenues, net$6,528 $2,706 $1,573 $229 $(1,401) $9,635Net income attributable to NIC$49 $26 $200 $102 $1,091 $1,468Income tax benefit— — — — 1,458 1,458Segment profit (loss)$49 $26 $200 $102 $(367) $10Depreciation and amortization$112 $91 $7 $21 $14 $245Interest expense— — — 84 103 187Equity in income (loss) of non-consolidated affiliates(57) (3) 5 — — (55)Capital expenditures(C)53 131 11 1 95 291As of July 31, 2012           Segment assets$2,509 $1,715 $708 $2,898 $3,313 $11,143As of October 31, 2011           Segment assets$2,771 $1,849 $700 $3,580 $3,391 $12,291_________________________(A)See Note 2, Restructurings and Impairments, for further discussion.(B)Total sales and revenues in the Financial Services segment include interest revenues of $63 million and $195 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2012, respectively, and $72 million and $225 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2011, respectively. (C)Exclusive of purchases of equipment leased to others.Sales of vehicles and service parts to the U.S. government are reported in our Truck and Parts segments and were 11% of consolidated sales and revenues for the nine months ended July 31, 2011. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of consolidated sales and revenues for the |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 29 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8864-108599Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8906-108599Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 32 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8933-108599Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 35 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8984-108599Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8380-108599Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8538-108599Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 42 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9054-108599Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8595-108599Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 131 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 34 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8981-108599Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8971-108599Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 26 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8844-108599Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 31 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8924-108599Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 40 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9031-108599Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 41 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9038-108599
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