Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	$ 2,274	$ 2,096	$ 6,883	$ 6,444
Affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	2,274	2,096	6,883	6,444
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,913	1,743	5,790	5,329
Engineering, research, and development	40	41	115	117
Selling, general, and administrative	128	109	529	390
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	58	53	165	159
Total costs and expenses	2,139	1,946	6,599	5,995
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(2)	(2)	(4)	(4)
Other income (expense)	1	2	2	0
Total other income (expense)	(1)	0	(2)	(4)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	134	150	282	445
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	19	24	54	76
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	115	126	228	369
Income tax (benefit) expense	16	(70)	41	3
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net income	99	196	187	366
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	16	17	48	48
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	83	179	139	318
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	114	184	234	333
Reclass and Elims
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	(271)	(317)	(910)	(958)
Net sales and operating revenues	(271)	(317)	(910)	(958)
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	(271)	(317)	(910)	(958)
Engineering, research, and development	0	0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	(271)	(317)	(910)	(958)
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	(15)	(15)
Total other income (expense)	0	0	(15)	(15)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	0	0	(15)	(15)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	0	0	(15)	(15)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	(126)	(237)	(304)	(514)
Net income	(126)	(237)	(319)	(529)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(126)	(237)	(319)	(529)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(120)	(237)	(313)	(529)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	917	928	2,958	2,929
Affiliated companies	128	134	413	389
Net sales and operating revenues	1,045	1,062	3,371	3,318
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	889	904	2,871	2,800
Engineering, research, and development	17	20	56	59
Selling, general, and administrative	51	48	310	174
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	23	23	65	65
Total costs and expenses	980	995	3,302	3,098
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Other income (expense)	(9)	(7)	(9)	(6)
Total other income (expense)	(10)	(8)	(11)	(8)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	55	59	58	212
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	7	(1)	10	(1)
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	(5)	(3)	(12)	(9)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	53	63	60	222
Income tax (benefit) expense	(5)	(108)	6	(71)
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	31	33	119	118
Net income	89	204	173	411
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	89	204	173	411
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	89	204	173	411
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,357	1,168	3,925	3,515
Affiliated companies	143	183	497	569
Net sales and operating revenues	1,500	1,351	4,422	4,084
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,295	1,156	3,829	3,487
Engineering, research, and development	23	21	59	58
Selling, general, and administrative	77	61	219	215
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	35	30	100	94
Total costs and expenses	1,430	1,268	4,207	3,854
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Other income (expense)	10	9	26	21
Total other income (expense)	9	8	24	19
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	79	91	239	249
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	2	1	4	3
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	3	2	6	6
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	74	88	229	240
Income tax (benefit) expense	21	38	35	74
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net income	53	50	194	166
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	16	17	48	48
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	37	33	146	118
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	31	33	140	118
Tenneco Inc
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	0		0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	0	0	0	0
Engineering, research, and development	0	0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	0	0	0	1
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	0	0	0	1
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	(1)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	10	24	40	74
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	2	1	6	3
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(12)	(25)	(46)	(78)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	95	204	185	396
Net income	83	179	139	318
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	83	179	139	318
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ 114	$ 184	$ 234	$ 333