| **Debt (Details) (USD $)In Millions, unless otherwise specified** | Apr. 30, 2012 | Oct. 31, 2011 | Apr. 30, 2012Manufacturing [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Manufacturing [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Financial Services [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Financial Services [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Senior Notes [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Nov. 02, 2011Senior Notes [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Senior Notes [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Convertible Subordinated Debt [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Convertible Subordinated Debt [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Debt Of Majority-Owned Dealerships [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Debt Of Majority-Owned Dealerships [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Financing Arrangements and Capital Lease Obligations [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Financing Arrangements and Capital Lease Obligations [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Tax Exempt Bond [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Tax Exempt Bond [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Promissory Note [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Promissory Note [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Jun. 05, 2012Asset-Based Credit Facility [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Asset-Based Credit Facility [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Nov. 30, 2011Asset-Based Credit Facility [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Asset-Based Credit Facility [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Other [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Other [Member]Manufacturing [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Asset-Backed Debt [Member]Financial Services [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Asset-Backed Debt [Member]Financial Services [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Bank Revolvers [Member]Financial Services [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Bank Revolvers [Member]Financial Services [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Commercial Paper [Member]Financial Services [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Commercial Paper [Member]Financial Services [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012Borrowings Secured By Operating and Finance Leases [Member]Financial Services [Member] | Oct. 31, 2011Borrowings Secured By Operating and Finance Leases [Member]Financial Services [Member] |
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| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                  |          |          |                                |                                |                                     |                                     |                                                     |                                                     |                                                     |                                                                      |                                                                      |                                                                           |                                                                           |                                                                                             |                                                                                             |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                              |                                              |                                                               |                                                               |                                                            |                                                            |                                                              |                                                              |                                                                                                |                                                                                                |
| Debt instrument early redemption amount                           |          |          |                                |                                |                                     |                                     | $ 100                                                    | $ 50                                                     | $ 50                                                     |                                                                      |                                                                      |                                                                           |                                                                           |                                                                                             |                                                                                             |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                              |                                              |                                                               |                                                               |                                                            |                                                            |                                                              |                                                              |                                                                                                |                                                                                                |
| Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount                             |          |          |                                |                                |                                     |                                     | 29                                                       |                                                     | 33                                                       | 62                                                                        | 73                                                                        |                                                                           |                                                                           |                                                                                             |                                                                                             |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                              |                                              |                                                               |                                                               |                                                            |                                                            |                                                              |                                                              |                                                                                                |                                                                                                |
| Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage                 |          |          |                                |                                |                                     |                                     | 8.25%                                                    |                                                     |                                                     | 3.00%                                                                     |                                                                      |                                                                           |                                                                           |                                                                                             |                                                                                             | 6.50%                                                       |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                              |                                              |                                                               |                                                               |                                                            |                                                            |                                                              |                                                              |                                                                                                |                                                                                                |
| Long-term Debt                                                    |          |          | 2,028                               | 1,980                               | 2,469                                    | 2,876                                    | 871                                                      |                                                     | 967                                                      | 508                                                                       | 497                                                                       | 84                                                                             | 94                                                                             | 155                                                                                              | 118                                                                                              | 225                                                         | 225                                                         | 36                                                          | 40                                                          | 138                                                                     | 100                                                                     | 100                                                                     | 0                                                                       | 49                                                | 39                                                | 1,284                                                              | 1,664                                                              | 1,060                                                           | 1,072                                                           | 59                                                                | 70                                                                | 66                                                                                                  | 70                                                                                                  |
| Less: Current portion                                             | 1,509         | 1,379         | 230                                 | 99                                  | 1,279                                    | 1,280                                    |                                                     |                                                     |                                                     |                                                                      |                                                                      |                                                                           |                                                                           |                                                                                             |                                                                                             |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                              |                                              |                                                               |                                                               |                                                            |                                                            |                                                              |                                                              |                                                                                                |                                                                                                |
| Net long-term debt                                                | $ 2,988       | $ 3,477       | $ 1,798                             | $ 1,881                             | $ 1,190                                  | $ 1,596                                  |                                                     |                                                     |                                                     |                                                                      |                                                                      |                                                                           |                                                                           |                                                                                             |                                                                                             |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                        |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                                                    |                                              |                                              |                                                               |                                                               |                                                            |                                                            |                                                              |                                                              |                                                                                                |                                                                                                |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
debt instrument early redemption amount
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the sum of short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt and capital lease obligations, which are due within one year (or one business cycle if longer).
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 19 -Article 5Reference 2: 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) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Interest rate stated in the contractual debt agreement.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                           |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The amount of debt discount that was originally recognized at the issuance of the instrument that has yet to be amortized.
+ References
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|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Including current and noncurrent portions, aggregate carrying amount of long-term borrowings as of the balance sheet date. May include notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt, which had initial maturities beyond one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer, and after deducting unamortized discount or premiums, if any.
+ References
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|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all long-term debt, which is debt initially having maturities due after one year from the balance sheet date or beyond the operating cycle, if longer, but excluding the portions thereof scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer plus capital lease obligations due to be paid more than one year after the balance sheet date.
+ References
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