| **Financing Activities (Details 5) $ in Millions**                                                     | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended |        |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|----------------|--------|
||
| **Finance receivables modified as TDRs**                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 31             | 75             | 78     | 123 |   |
| Pre-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                            | $ 110          | $ 175          | $ 242  | $ 294 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 96           | $ 173          | $ 225  | $ 280 |   |
| **TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date** |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 5              | 15             | 11     | 29 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 0            | $ 1            | $ 1    | $ 3 |   |
| Remaining commitments                                                                                  | $ 0            |           | $ 0    |   | $ 0 |
| Customer | North America                                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| **Finance receivables modified as TDRs**                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 6              | 20             | 10     | 24 |   |
| Pre-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                            | $ 0            | $ 9            | $ 1    | $ 11 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 0            | $ 3            | $ 1    | $ 5 |   |
| **TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date** |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 5              | 3              | 10     | 10 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 0            | $ 0            | $ 1    | $ 1 |   |
| Customer | Europe                                                                                      |           |           |   |   |   |
| **Finance receivables modified as TDRs**                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 4              | 0              | 23     | 8 |   |
| Pre-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                            | $ 0            | $ 0            | $ 2    | $ 7 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 0            | $ 0            | $ 2    | $ 7 |   |
| **TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date** |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 0              | 5              | 0      | 12 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 0            | $ 1            | $ 0    | $ 2 |   |
| Customer | Asia/Pacific                                                                                |           |           |   |   |   |
| **Finance receivables modified as TDRs**                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 1              | 0              | 21     | 0 |   |
| Pre-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                            | $ 1            | $ 0            | $ 26   | $ 0 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 1            | $ 0            | $ 26   | $ 0 |   |
| Customer | Mining                                                                                      |           |           |   |   |   |
| **Finance receivables modified as TDRs**                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 2              | 45             | 2      | 47 |   |
| Pre-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                            | $ 15           | $ 122          | $ 15   | $ 165 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 14           | $ 124          | $ 14   | $ 157 |   |
| Customer | Latin America                                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| **Finance receivables modified as TDRs**                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 10             | 3              | 10     | 31 |   |
| Pre-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                            | $ 1            | $ 0            | $ 1    | $ 31 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 2            | $ 0            | $ 2    | $ 30 |   |
| **TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date** |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 0              | 7              | 1      | 7 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 0            | $ 0            | $ 0    | $ 0 |   |
| Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance                                                                   |           |           |   |   |   |
| **Finance receivables modified as TDRs**                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 8              | 7              | 12     | 13 |   |
| Pre-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                            | $ 93           | $ 44           | $ 197  | $ 80 |   |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | $ 79           | $ 46           | $ 180  | $ 81 |   |
| Dealer                                                                                                 |           |           |   |   |   |
| **Finance receivables modified as TDRs**                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 0              | 0              | 0      | 0 |   |
| Caterpillar Purchased Receivables                                                                      |           |           |   |   |   |
| **Finance receivables modified as TDRs**                                                               |           |           |   |   |   |
| Number of Contracts | contracts                                                                        | 0              | 0              | 0      | 0 |   |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Loans and leases modified as TDRs within previous twelve months that subsequently defaulted
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=SL6953676-111524
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Post-modification amount of investment in financing receivables modified by troubled debt restructurings.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=SL6953676-111524
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Pre-modification amount of investment in financing receivables modified by troubled debt restructurings.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=SL6953676-111524
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings within the previous 12 months and for which there was a payment default.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 34 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=SL6953682-111524
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of investment related to financing receivables modified by troubled debt restructurings within the previous 12 months, for which there was a payment default.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 34 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=SL6953682-111524
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Reflects the unfunded portion of contractual agreements to lend funds to borrowers for loans whose terms have been modified by troubled debt restructuring.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                         |
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                  |
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