Summary of Accounting Policies - Error Correction, Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 697	$ 315
Restricted cash	5	3
Customer notes and accounts, net	2,487	1,294
Other	85	27
Inventories	2,245	820
Prepayments and other current assets	590	288
Total current assets	6,109	2,747
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,501	1,691
Long-term receivables, net	10	9
Goodwill	869	49
Intangibles, net	1,519	22
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	544	2
Deferred income taxes	467	213
Other assets	213	63
Total assets	13,232	4,796
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	153	103
Accounts payable	2,759	1,582
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	343	141
Accrued income taxes	64	27
Accrued interest	33	14
Other	236	97
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	1,001	424
Total current liabilities	4,320	2,277
Long-term debt	5,340	1,358
Deferred income taxes	88	11
Pension and postretirement benefits	1,167	268
Deferred credits and other liabilities	263	158
Total liabilities	11,178	4,072
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	138	42	$ 40	$ 41
Preferred stock—$0.01 par value; none issued	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	4,360	3,112
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(692)	(538)
Accumulated deficit	(1,013)	(1,009)
Shareholders equity before deduction of treasury stock	2,656	1,566
Shares held as treasury stock—at cost: 2018 and 2017—14,592,888 shares	(930)	(930)
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,726	636
Noncontrolling interests	190	46
Total equity	1,916	682
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	13,232	4,796
Class A
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Common stock	1	1
As Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		315
Restricted cash		3
Customer notes and accounts, net		1,294
Other		27
Inventories		869
Prepayments and other current assets		291
Total current assets		2,799
Property, plant and equipment, net		1,615
Long-term receivables, net		9
Goodwill		49
Intangibles, net		22
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates		0
Deferred income taxes		204
Other assets		144
Total assets		4,842
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt		83
Accounts payable		1,705
Accrued income taxes		45
Accrued interest		14
Accrued liabilities		287
Other		132
Total current liabilities		2,266
Long-term debt		1,358
Deferred income taxes		11
Pension and postretirement benefits		268
Deferred credits and other liabilities		155
Total liabilities		4,058
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 35	42
Preferred stock—$0.01 par value; none issued		0
Additional paid-in capital		3,112
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(541)
Accumulated deficit		(946)
Shareholders equity before deduction of treasury stock		1,626
Shares held as treasury stock—at cost: 2018 and 2017—14,592,888 shares		(930)
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity		696
Noncontrolling interests		46
Total equity		742
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity		4,842
As Reported | Class A
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Common stock		1
Revisions
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Inventories		(49)
Prepayments and other current assets		(3)
Total current assets		(52)
Property, plant and equipment, net		(3)
Deferred income taxes		9
Total assets		(46)
Accrued income taxes		2
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		9
Total current liabilities		11
Deferred credits and other liabilities		3
Total liabilities		14
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		3
Accumulated deficit		(63)
Shareholders equity before deduction of treasury stock		(60)
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity		(60)
Total equity		(60)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity		(46)
Reclasses
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, net		79
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates		2
Other assets		(81)
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt		20
Accounts payable		(123)
Accrued compensation and employee benefits		141
Accrued income taxes		(20)
Accrued interest		(14)
Accrued liabilities		(287)
Other		(132)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		415
As Reclassified
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		315
Restricted cash		3
Customer notes and accounts, net		1,294
Other		27
Inventories		869
Prepayments and other current assets		291
Total current assets		2,799
Property, plant and equipment, net		1,694
Long-term receivables, net		9
Goodwill		49
Intangibles, net		22
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates		2
Deferred income taxes		204
Other assets		63
Total assets		4,842
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt		103
Accounts payable		1,582
Accrued compensation and employee benefits		141
Accrued income taxes		25
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		415
Total current liabilities		2,266
Long-term debt		1,358
Deferred income taxes		11
Pension and postretirement benefits		268
Deferred credits and other liabilities		155
Total liabilities		4,058
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		42
Preferred stock—$0.01 par value; none issued		0
Additional paid-in capital		3,112
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(541)
Accumulated deficit		(946)
Shareholders equity before deduction of treasury stock		1,626
Shares held as treasury stock—at cost: 2018 and 2017—14,592,888 shares		(930)
Total Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity		696
Noncontrolling interests		46
Total equity		742
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity		4,842
As Reclassified | Class A
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Common stock		$ 1