| **Finance receivables**    | 6 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       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| **Receivables [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               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| Finance receivables        | Finance ReceivablesFinance receivables are receivables of our financial services operations, which generally can be repaid without penalty prior to contractual maturity. Finance receivables generally consist of retail and wholesale accounts and retail and wholesale notes. Total finance receivables reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheets are net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Total on-balance sheet assets of our financial services operations net of intercompany balances are $3.0 billion and $3.5 billion as of April 30, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively. Included in total assets are on-balance sheet finance receivables of $2.6 billion and $2.9 billion as of April 30, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively. We have two portfolio segments of finance receivables based on the type of financing inherent to each portfolio. The retail portfolio segment represents loans or leases to end-users for the purchase or lease of vehicles. The wholesale portfolio segment represents loans to dealers to finance their inventory.Our finance receivables by major classification are as follows: April 30, 2012 October 31, 2011(in millions)   Retail portfolio$1,384 $1,613Wholesale portfolio1,284 1,334Total finance receivables2,668 2,947Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts28 34Total finance receivables, net2,640 2,913Less: Current portion, net(A)2,066 2,198Noncurrent portion, net$574 $715_________________________(A)The current portion of finance receivables is computed based on contractual maturities. Actual cash collections typically vary from the contractual cash flows because of prepayments, extensions, delinquencies, credit losses, and renewals.SecuritizationsOur Financial Services segment transfers wholesale notes, retail accounts receivable, retail notes, finance leases, and operating leases through special purpose entities ("SPEs"), which generally are only permitted to purchase these assets, issue asset-backed securities, and make payments on the securities. In addition to servicing receivables, our continued involvement in the SPEs includes an economic interest in the transferred receivables, and, historically, managing exposure to interest rates using interest rate swaps, interest rate caps, and forward contracts. Some of these transactions may qualify as sales of financial assets and are accounted for off-balance sheet. For sales that do qualify for off-balance sheet treatment, an initial gain (loss) is recorded at the time of the sale while servicing fees and excess spread income are recorded as revenue when earned over the life of the finance receivables. For transactions that are accounted for as secured borrowings, we record the interest revenue earned on the finance receivables and the interest expense paid on secured borrowings issued in connection with the finance receivables sold.There were no transfers of finance receivables that qualified for sale accounting treatment during the three and six months ended April 30, 2012 and 2011. Securitization income for the three and six months ended April 30, 2011 relates to the excess spread received and fair value changes on retail accounts sold prior to November 1, 2010. For more information on assets and liabilities of consolidated VIEs and other securitizations accounted for as secured borrowings by our Financial Services segment, see Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.Our Financial Services segment securitizes wholesale notes through an SPE, which has in place a revolving wholesale note trust ("Master Trust") that provides for funding of eligible wholesale notes. The Master Trust’s assets and liabilities are consolidated into the assets and liabilities of the Company. Components of available wholesale note trust funding facilities were as follows: Maturity April 30, 2012 October 31, 2011(in millions)     Variable funding notes ("VFN")July 2012 $500 $500Investor notesOctober 2012 350 350Investor notesOctober 2013 224 —Investor notesJanuary 2012 — 250Total wholesale note funding  $1,074 $1,100Unutilized funding related to the variable funding facilities was $320 million and $170 million at April 30, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively.On November 2, 2011, NFC completed the sale of $224 million of two-year investor notes within the wholesale note trust funding facility.Our Financial Services segment securitizes eligible retail accounts receivable through Truck Retail Accounts Corporation ("TRAC"), a consolidated SPE. In March 2012, the TRAC funding was renewed with a $125 million facility. The facility is secured by $209 million of retail accounts and $31 million of cash equivalents as of April 30, 2012, as compared to $174 million of retail accounts and $33 million of cash equivalents as of October 31, 2011. There were $29 million and $9 million of unutilized funding at April 30, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively. The renewed TRAC funding facility has a maturity date of March 2013.Finance RevenuesFinance revenues consist of the following: Three Months Ended April 30, Six Months Ended April 30, 2012 2011 2012 2011(in millions)       Retail notes and finance leases revenue$26 $39 $52 $76Operating lease revenue11 8 20 15Wholesale notes interest22 26 45 51Retail and wholesale accounts interest8 6 18 12Securitization income— 4 — 2Gross finance revenues67 83 135 156Less: Intercompany revenues(24) (26) (48) (49)Finance revenues$43 $57 $87 $107 |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for financing receivables. Examples of financing receivables include, but are not limited to, loans, trade accounts receivables, notes receivable, credit cards, and receivables relating to a lessor's right(s) to payment(s) from a lease other than an operating lease that is recognized as assets.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2196772Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 14 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6951925&loc=SL6953791-111525
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| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_ReceivablesAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |