Summary of Accounting Policies - Error Correction, Income Statement (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales and operating revenues	$ 4,484,000,000	$ 2,581,000,000
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	3,864,000,000	2,193,000,000
Selling, general, and administrative	316,000,000	151,000,000
Depreciation and amortization	169,000,000	60,000,000
Engineering, research, and development	92,000,000	40,000,000
Restructuring charges and asset impairments	24,000,000	12,000,000
Costs and expenses	4,525,000,000	2,456,000,000
Loss on sale of receivables		0
Non-service pension and other postretirement benefit costs (credits)	2,000,000	3,000,000
Other expense (income), net	(3,000,000)	0
Total other expense (income)	(17,000,000)	3,000,000
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(24,000,000)	122,000,000
Interest expense	81,000,000	23,000,000
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests	(105,000,000)	99,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	25,000,000
Net income (loss)	(105,000,000)	74,000,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	12,000,000	14,000,000
Net income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ (117,000,000)	$ 60,000,000
Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)	$ (1.44)	$ 1.17
Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)	$ (1.44)	$ 1.17
As Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales and operating revenues		$ 2,574,000,000
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)		2,198,000,000
Selling, general, and administrative		153,000,000
Depreciation and amortization		59,000,000
Engineering, research, and development		41,000,000
Restructuring charges and asset impairments		0
Costs and expenses		2,451,000,000
Loss on sale of receivables		3,000,000
Non-service pension and other postretirement benefit costs (credits)		0
Other expense (income), net		3,000,000
Total other expense (income)		6,000,000
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests		117,000,000
Interest expense		20,000,000
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests		97,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit)		25,000,000
Net income (loss)		72,000,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		14,000,000
Net income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.		$ 58,000,000
Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 1.13
Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 1.13
Reclasses
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales and operating revenues		$ 0
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)		(9,000,000)
Selling, general, and administrative		(2,000,000)
Depreciation and amortization		0
Engineering, research, and development		(1,000,000)
Restructuring charges and asset impairments		12,000,000
Costs and expenses		0
Loss on sale of receivables		(3,000,000)
Non-service pension and other postretirement benefit costs (credits)		3,000,000
Other expense (income), net		(3,000,000)
Total other expense (income)		(3,000,000)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests		3,000,000
Interest expense		3,000,000
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests		0
Income tax expense (benefit)
Net income (loss)		0
Net income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.		$ 0
Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0.00
Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0.00
As Reclassified
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales and operating revenues		$ 2,574,000,000
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)		2,189,000,000
Selling, general, and administrative		151,000,000
Depreciation and amortization		59,000,000
Engineering, research, and development		40,000,000
Restructuring charges and asset impairments		12,000,000
Costs and expenses		2,451,000,000
Loss on sale of receivables		0
Non-service pension and other postretirement benefit costs (credits)		3,000,000
Other expense (income), net		0
Total other expense (income)		3,000,000
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests		120,000,000
Interest expense		23,000,000
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests		97,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit)		25,000,000
Net income (loss)		72,000,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		14,000,000
Net income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.		$ 58,000,000
Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 1.13
Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 1.13
Revisions
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales and operating revenues		$ 7,000,000
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)		4,000,000
Selling, general, and administrative		0
Depreciation and amortization		1,000,000
Engineering, research, and development		0
Restructuring charges and asset impairments		0
Costs and expenses		5,000,000
Loss on sale of receivables		0
Non-service pension and other postretirement benefit costs (credits)		0
Other expense (income), net		0
Total other expense (income)		0
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests		2,000,000
Interest expense		0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests		2,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit)		0
Net income (loss)		2,000,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		0
Net income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.		$ 2,000,000
Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0.04
Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0.04