Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 384	$ 697
Restricted cash	6	5
Receivables, net	2,847	2,572
Inventories	2,207	2,245
Prepayments and other current assets	550	590
Total current assets	5,994	6,109
Plant, property and equipment, net	3,569	3,501
Investment in affiliated companies	0	0
Long-term receivables, net	10	10
Goodwill	799	869
Intangibles, net	1,649	1,519
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	531	544
Deferred income taxes	480	467
Other assets	560	213
Total assets	13,592	13,232
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	170	153
Accounts payable	2,725	2,759
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	391	343
Accrued income taxes	0	64
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	1,024	1,001
Total current liabilities	4,310	4,320
Long-term debt	5,508	5,340
Intercompany due to (due from)	0	0
Deferred income taxes	110	88
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	1,675	1,430
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	11,603	11,178
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	145	138	$ 38	$ 42
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,638	1,726
Noncontrolling interests	206	190
Total equity	1,844	1,916
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	13,592	13,232
Reclass and Elims
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Receivables, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepayments and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Plant, property and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliated companies	(6,841)	(6,277)
Long-term receivables, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles, net	0	0
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets	0	(15)
Total assets	(6,841)	(6,292)
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	(15)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	(15)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany due to (due from)	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0	0
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	0	(15)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	(6,841)	(6,277)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(6,841)	(6,277)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	(6,841)	(6,292)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	216	329
Restricted cash	0	0
Receivables, net	965	943
Inventories	927	958
Prepayments and other current assets	193	254
Total current assets	2,301	2,484
Plant, property and equipment, net	1,142	1,131
Investment in affiliated companies	1,637	1,421
Long-term receivables, net	9	9
Goodwill	470	263
Intangibles, net	971	1,007
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	42	43
Deferred income taxes	256	255
Other assets	150	48
Total assets	6,978	6,661
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	1	1
Accounts payable	904	858
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	87	88
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	426	436
Total current liabilities	1,418	1,383
Long-term debt	250	3
Intercompany due to (due from)	1,905	2,726
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	817	225
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	4,390	4,337
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	2,588	2,324
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,588	2,324
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	6,978	6,661
Nonguarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	165	364
Restricted cash	6	5
Receivables, net	1,882	1,629
Inventories	1,280	1,287
Prepayments and other current assets	329	311
Total current assets	3,662	3,596
Plant, property and equipment, net	2,418	2,361
Investment in affiliated companies	0	0
Long-term receivables, net	1	1
Goodwill	329	383
Intangibles, net	678	510
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	489	501
Deferred income taxes	212	200
Other assets	396	180
Total assets	8,185	7,732
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	154	152
Accounts payable	1,821	1,894
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	304	255
Accrued income taxes	0	52
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	542	488
Total current liabilities	2,821	2,841
Long-term debt	11	32
Intercompany due to (due from)	(196)	(215)
Deferred income taxes	110	88
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	835	705
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	3,581	3,451
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	145	138
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	4,253	3,953
Noncontrolling interests	206	190
Total equity	4,459	4,143
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	8,185	7,732
Tenneco Inc
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	3	4
Restricted cash	0	0
Receivables, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepayments and other current assets	28	25
Total current assets	31	29
Plant, property and equipment, net	9	9
Investment in affiliated companies	5,204	4,856
Long-term receivables, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	223
Intangibles, net	0	2
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Deferred income taxes	12	12
Other assets	14	0
Total assets	5,270	5,131
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt	15	0
Accounts payable	0	7
Accrued compensation and employee benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	27
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	56	77
Total current liabilities	71	111
Long-term debt	5,247	5,305
Intercompany due to (due from)	(1,709)	(2,511)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Postretirement benefits and other liabilities	23	500
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities	3,632	3,405
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	1,638	1,726
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,638	1,726
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	$ 5,270	$ 5,131