Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 347	[1]	$ 287	[1]	$ 282	[1]	$ 275
Restricted cash	2		1
Receivables, net	1,294		1,112
Inventories	730		682
Prepayments and other	229		229
Total current assets	2,602		2,311
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	0		0
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	0		0
Long-term receivables, net	9		13
Goodwill	57		60
Intangibles, net	19		22
Deferred income taxes	199		221
Pension Assets			0
Other	103		100
Other Assets	387		416
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	3,548		3,418
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(2,191)		(2,175)
Plant, property and equipment, net	1,357		1,243
Total Assets	4,346		3,970		3,996
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	90		86
Short-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Accounts payable	1,501		1,376
Accrued taxes	39		37
Other	343		295
Total current liabilities	1,973		1,794
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	1,294		1,124
Long-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Deferred income taxes	7		7
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	412		540
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	3,686		3,465
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	40		41		34		20
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	573		425		495
Noncontrolling interests	47		39
Total equity	620		464		535
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	4,346		3,970
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	9		2		10		6
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	386		299
Inventories	361		333
Prepayments and other	62		67
Total current assets	818		701
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	1,211		1,141
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	939		938
Long-term receivables, net	9		11
Goodwill	22		22
Intangibles, net	7		9
Deferred income taxes	47		122
Pension Assets			0
Other	46		42
Other Assets	2,281		2,285
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	1,371		1,281
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(895)		(851)
Plant, property and equipment, net	476		430
Total Assets	3,575		3,416
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Short-term debt — affiliated	167		164
Accounts payable	562		484
Accrued taxes	4		6
Other	147		125
Total current liabilities	880		779
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Long-term debt — affiliated	1,543		1,583
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	297		424
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	2,720		2,786
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	855		630
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	855		630
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	3,575		3,416
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	338		285		272		269
Restricted cash	2		1
Receivables, net	1,412		1,241
Inventories	369		349
Prepayments and other	167		162
Total current assets	2,288		2,038
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	0		0
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	16,529		13,291
Long-term receivables, net	0		2
Goodwill	35		38
Intangibles, net	12		13
Deferred income taxes	23		31
Pension Assets			0
Other	49		47
Other Assets	16,648		13,422
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	2,177		2,137
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(1,296)		(1,324)
Plant, property and equipment, net	881		813
Total Assets	19,817		16,273
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	75		73
Short-term debt — affiliated	187		147
Accounts payable	1,027		955
Accrued taxes	35		31
Other	243		221
Total current liabilities	1,567		1,427
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	12		21
Long-term debt — affiliated	16,466		13,226
Deferred income taxes	7		7
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	115		116
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	18,167		14,797
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	40		41
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,563		1,396
Noncontrolling interests	47		39
Total equity	1,610		1,435
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	19,817		16,273
Tenneco Inc. (Parent Company)
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0		0
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	0		0
Inventories	0		0
Prepayments and other	0		0
Total current assets	0		0
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	1,207		885
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	4,781		4,788
Long-term receivables, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred income taxes	129		68
Pension Assets			0
Other	8		11
Other Assets	6,125		5,752
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Plant, property and equipment, net	0		0
Total Assets	6,125		5,752
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	15		13
Short-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued taxes	0		0
Other	15		3
Total current liabilities	30		16
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	1,282		1,103
Long-term debt — affiliated	4,240		4,208
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0		0
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	5,552		5,327
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	573		425
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	573		425
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	6,125		5,752
Reclass & Elims
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0		$ 0		$ 0
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	(504)		(428)
Inventories	0		0
Prepayments and other	0		0
Total current assets	(504)		(428)
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	(2,418)		(2,026)
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	(22,249)		(19,017)
Long-term receivables, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Pension Assets			0
Other	0		0
Other Assets	(24,667)		(21,043)
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Plant, property and equipment, net	0		0
Total Assets	(25,171)		(21,471)
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Short-term debt — affiliated	(354)		(311)
Accounts payable	(88)		(63)
Accrued taxes	0		0
Other	(62)		(54)
Total current liabilities	(504)		(428)
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Long-term debt — affiliated	(22,249)		(19,017)
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0		0
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	(22,753)		(19,445)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	(2,418)		(2,026)
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	(2,418)		(2,026)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	$ (25,171)		$ (21,471)

[1] Cash and cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase.