Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	$ 2,537	$ 2,317	$ 5,111	$ 4,609
Affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	2,537	2,317	5,111	4,609
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	2,159	1,949	4,357	3,878
Engineering, research, and development	42	36	83	75
Selling, general, and administrative	156	252	309	393
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	59	55	118	107
Total costs and expenses	2,416	2,292	4,867	4,453
Other (expense) income
Loss on sale of receivables	(2)	(1)	(5)	(2)
Other income (expense)	(6)	3	(9)	(6)
Total other income (expense)	(8)	2	(14)	(8)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	113	27	230	148
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	20	20	40	35
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	93	7	190	113
Income tax (benefit) expense	27	(8)	52	25
Equity in net income from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net income	66	15	138	88
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	16	18	30	32
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	50	(3)	108	56
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(39)	33	41	120
Reclass and Elims
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	(290)	(313)	(569)	(639)
Net sales and operating revenues	(290)	(313)	(569)	(639)
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	(290)	(313)	(569)	(639)
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	(290)	(313)	(569)	(639)
Other (expense) income
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	(10)	(15)	(10)	(15)
Total other income (expense)	(10)	(15)	(10)	(15)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(10)	(15)	(10)	(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	(10)	(15)	(10)	(15)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income from affiliated companies	(102)	(74)	(218)	(178)
Net income	(112)	(89)	(228)	(193)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(112)	(89)	(228)	(193)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(112)	(89)	(228)	(193)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,028	1,023	2,060	2,041
Affiliated companies	134	141	257	285
Net sales and operating revenues	1,162	1,164	2,317	2,326
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	986	986	1,994	1,978
Engineering, research, and development	19	19	37	39
Selling, general, and administrative	81	183	155	251
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	22	21	44	42
Total costs and expenses	1,108	1,209	2,230	2,310
Other (expense) income
Loss on sale of receivables	(2)	(1)	(4)	(1)
Other income (expense)	(18)	5	(30)	(12)
Total other income (expense)	(20)	4	(34)	(13)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	34	(41)	53	3
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	8	3	16	3
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	(4)	(4)	(7)	(7)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	30	(40)	44	7
Income tax (benefit) expense	(2)	3	(1)	11
Equity in net income from affiliated companies	39	60	84	88
Net income	71	17	129	84
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	71	17	129	84
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	71	17	129	84
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,509	1,294	3,051	2,568
Affiliated companies	156	172	312	354
Net sales and operating revenues	1,665	1,466	3,363	2,922
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,463	1,276	2,932	2,539
Engineering, research, and development	23	17	46	36
Selling, general, and administrative	75	69	154	142
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	37	34	74	65
Total costs and expenses	1,598	1,396	3,206	2,782
Other (expense) income
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	(1)	(1)
Other income (expense)	22	13	31	21
Total other income (expense)	22	13	30	20
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	89	83	187	160
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	3	2	5	2
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	2	0	3
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	86	79	182	155
Income tax (benefit) expense	29	(11)	53	14
Equity in net income from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net income	57	90	129	141
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	16	18	30	32
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	41	72	99	109
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	41	72	99	109
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	0
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	0	0	0	0
Other (expense) income
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	0
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	9	15	19	30
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	4	2	7	4
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(13)	(17)	(26)	(34)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income from affiliated companies	63	14	134	90
Net income	50	(3)	108	56
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	50	(3)	108	56
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ (39)	$ 33	$ 41	$ 120