Summary of Accounting Policies - Error Correction, Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales and operating revenues	$ 4,504	$ 2,533	$ 8,988	$ 5,114
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	3,793	2,134	7,657	4,327
Selling, general, and administrative	288	154	604	305
Depreciation and amortization	169	60	338	120
Engineering, research, and development	78	39	170	79
Restructuring charges and asset impairments	61	29	85	41
Costs and expenses	4,389	2,416	8,914	4,872
Loss on sale of receivables		0		0
Non-service pension and other postretirement benefit costs (credits)	4	3	6	6
Other expense (income), net	(13)	3	(16)	3
Total other expense (income)	(26)	6	(43)	9
Earnings (loss) before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	141	111	117	233
Interest expense	82	22	163	45
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests	59	89	(46)	188
Income tax expense (benefit)	14	26	14	51
Net income (loss)	45	63	(60)	137
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	19	16	31	30
Net income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ 26	$ 47	$ (91)	$ 107
Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)	$ 0.32	$ 0.92	$ (1.13)	$ 2.08
Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)	$ 0.32	$ 0.92	$ (1.13)	$ 2.07
As Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales and operating revenues		$ 2,537		$ 5,111
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)		2,159		4,357
Selling, general, and administrative		156		309
Depreciation and amortization		59		118
Engineering, research, and development		42		83
Restructuring charges and asset impairments		0		0
Costs and expenses		2,416		4,867
Loss on sale of receivables		2		5
Non-service pension and other postretirement benefit costs (credits)		0		0
Other expense (income), net		6		9
Total other expense (income)		8		14
Earnings (loss) before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests		113		230
Interest expense		20		40
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests		93		190
Income tax expense (benefit)		27		52
Net income (loss)		66		138
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		16		30
Net income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.		$ 50		$ 108
Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0.98		$ 2.12
Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0.98		$ 2.10
Reclasses
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales and operating revenues		$ 0		$ 0
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)		(23)		(32)
Selling, general, and administrative		(2)		(4)
Depreciation and amortization		0		0
Engineering, research, and development		(4)		(5)
Restructuring charges and asset impairments		29		41
Costs and expenses		0		0
Loss on sale of receivables		(2)		(5)
Non-service pension and other postretirement benefit costs (credits)		3		6
Other expense (income), net		(3)		(6)
Total other expense (income)		(2)		(5)
Earnings (loss) before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests		2		5
Interest expense		2		5
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests		0		0
Income tax expense (benefit)		0		0
Net income (loss)		0		0
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.		$ 0		$ 0
Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0		$ 0
Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0		$ 0
As Reclassified
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales and operating revenues		$ 2,537		$ 5,111
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)		2,136		4,325
Selling, general, and administrative		154		305
Depreciation and amortization		59		118
Engineering, research, and development		38		78
Restructuring charges and asset impairments		29		41
Costs and expenses		2,416		4,867
Loss on sale of receivables		0		0
Non-service pension and other postretirement benefit costs (credits)		3		6
Other expense (income), net		3		3
Total other expense (income)		6		9
Earnings (loss) before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests		115		235
Interest expense		22		45
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests		93		190
Income tax expense (benefit)		27		52
Net income (loss)		66		138
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		16		30
Net income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.		$ 50		$ 108
Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0.98		$ 2.12
Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0.98		$ 2.10
Revisions
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales and operating revenues		$ (4)		$ 3
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)		(2)		2
Selling, general, and administrative		0		0
Depreciation and amortization		1		2
Engineering, research, and development		1		1
Restructuring charges and asset impairments		0		0
Costs and expenses		0		5
Loss on sale of receivables		0		0
Non-service pension and other postretirement benefit costs (credits)		0		0
Other expense (income), net		0		0
Total other expense (income)		0		0
Earnings (loss) before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests		(4)		(2)
Interest expense		0		0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests		(4)		(2)
Income tax expense (benefit)		(1)		(1)
Net income (loss)		(3)		(1)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.		$ (3)		$ (1)
Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ (0.06)		$ (0.04)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ (0.06)		$ (0.03)