| **Debt**                       | 3 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
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| **Debt Disclosure [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Debt                           | Debt(in millions)January 31, 2013 October 31, 2012Manufacturing operations:   Senior Secured Term Loan Credit Facility, due 2014, net of unamortized discount of $8 and $9, respectively$990 $9918.25% Senior Notes, due 2021, net of unamortized discount of $27 and $28, respectively873 8723.0% Senior Subordinated Convertible Notes, due 2014, net of unamortized discount of $44 and $50, respectively526 520Debt of majority-owned dealerships51 60Financing arrangements and capital lease obligations93 140Loan Agreement related to 6.5% Tax Exempt Bonds, due 2040225 225Promissory Note28 30Other68 67Total manufacturing operations debt2,854 2,905Less: Current portion125 172Net long-term manufacturing operations debt$2,729 $2,733(in millions)January 31, 2013 October 31, 2012Financial Services operations:   Asset-backed debt issued by consolidated SPEs, at fixed and variable rates, due serially through 2019$811 $994Bank revolvers, at fixed and variable rates, due dates from 2013 through 2019726 763Commercial paper, at variable rates, matured in 2013— 31Borrowings secured by operating and finance leases, at various rates, due serially through 201771 78Total financial services operations debt1,608 1,866Less: Current portion811 1,033Net long-term financial services operations debt$797 $833Financial Services OperationsOn February 14, 2013, NFC completed the sale of $200 million of two-year investor notes secured by assets of the wholesale note owner trust. Proceeds were used to reduce borrowings under the variable funding notes ("VFN") facility. In conjunction with this sale, and in accordance with the terms of the VFN facility, the maximum capacity of the VFN facility was reduced from $750 million to $500 million.In December 2012, our Mexican financial services operation settled all of its commercial paper. The commercial paper program expired in February 2013. |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for information about short-term and long-term debt arrangements, which includes amounts of borrowings under each line of credit, note payable, commercial paper issue, bonds indenture, debenture issue, own-share lending arrangements and any other contractual agreement to repay funds, and about the underlying arrangements, rationale for a classification as long-term, including repayment terms, interest rates, collateral provided, restrictions on use of assets and activities, whether or not in compliance with debt covenants, and other matters important to users of the financial statements, such as the effects of refinancing and noncompliance with debt covenants.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19,20,22) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21475-112644Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 19, 20, 22 -Article 5Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 129 -Paragraph 2, 4 -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.
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