Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 315	[1]	$ 347	[1]	$ 287	[1]	$ 282
Restricted cash	3		2
Receivables, net	1,321		1,294
Inventories	869		730
Prepayments and other	291		229
Total current assets	2,799		2,602
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	0		0
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	0		0
Long-term receivables, net	9		9
Goodwill	49		57
Intangibles, net	22		19
Deferred income taxes	204		199
Other	144		103
Other Assets	428		387
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	4,008		3,548
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(2,393)		(2,191)
Plant, property and equipment, net	1,615		1,357
Total Assets	4,842		4,346		3,970
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	83		90
Short-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Accounts payable	1,705		1,501
Accrued taxes	45		39
Other	433		343
Total current liabilities	2,266		1,973
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	1,358		1,294
Long-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Deferred income taxes	11		7
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	423		412
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	4,058		3,686
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	42		40		41		34
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	696		573		425
Noncontrolling interests	46		47
Total equity	742		620		464
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	4,842		4,346
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	7		9		2		10
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	402		386
Inventories	383		361
Prepayments and other	99		62
Total current assets	891		818
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	1,389		1,211
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	791		939
Long-term receivables, net	8		9
Goodwill	22		22
Intangibles, net	5		7
Deferred income taxes	161		47
Other	66		46
Other Assets	2,442		2,281
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	1,478		1,371
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(934)		(895)
Plant, property and equipment, net	544		476
Total Assets	3,877		3,575
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Short-term debt — affiliated	408		167
Accounts payable	562		562
Accrued taxes	8		4
Other	203		147
Total current liabilities	1,181		880
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	632		0
Long-term debt — affiliated	1,093		1,543
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	296		297
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	3,202		2,720
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	675		855
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	675		855
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	3,877		3,575
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	308		338		285		272
Restricted cash	3		2
Receivables, net	1,567		1,412
Inventories	486		369
Prepayments and other	192		167
Total current assets	2,556		2,288
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	0		0
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	19,119		16,529
Long-term receivables, net	1		0
Goodwill	27		35
Intangibles, net	17		12
Deferred income taxes	43		23
Other	78		49
Other Assets	19,285		16,648
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	2,530		2,177
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(1,459)		(1,296)
Plant, property and equipment, net	1,071		881
Total Assets	22,912		19,817
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	83		75
Short-term debt — affiliated	148		187
Accounts payable	1,232		1,027
Accrued taxes	37		35
Other	221		243
Total current liabilities	1,721		1,567
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	12		12
Long-term debt — affiliated	18,981		16,466
Deferred income taxes	11		7
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	127		115
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	20,852		18,167
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	42		40
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,972		1,563
Noncontrolling interests	46		47
Total equity	2,018		1,610
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	22,912		19,817
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	1,258		1,207
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	3,967		4,781
Long-term receivables, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		129
Other	0		8
Other Assets	5,225		6,125
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Plant, property and equipment, net	0		0
Total Assets	5,225		6,125
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	0		15
Short-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued taxes	0		0
Other	12		15
Total current liabilities	12		30
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	714		1,282
Long-term debt — affiliated	3,803		4,240
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0		0
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	4,529		5,552
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	696		573
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	696		573
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	5,225		6,125
Reclass & Elims
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0		$ 0		$ 0
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	(648)		(504)
Inventories	0		0
Prepayments and other	0		0
Total current assets	(648)		(504)
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	(2,647)		(2,418)
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	(23,877)		(22,249)
Long-term receivables, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Other	0		0
Other Assets	(26,524)		(24,667)
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Plant, property and equipment, net	0		0
Total Assets	(27,172)		(25,171)
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt)
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Short-term debt — affiliated	(556)		(354)
Accounts payable	(89)		(88)
Accrued taxes	0		0
Other	(3)		(62)
Total current liabilities	(648)		(504)
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Long-term debt — affiliated	(23,877)		(22,249)
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0		0
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	(24,525)		(22,753)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	(2,647)		(2,418)
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	(2,647)		(2,418)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	$ (27,172)		$ (25,171)

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