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Stockholders' Equity and Noncontrolling Interests Preferred and Common Stock (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Votes
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2014
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 02, 2013
Class of Stock [Line Items]                  
Preferred Stock, Shares Authorized 2,000,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesAuthorized     2,000,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesAuthorized          
Common Stock, Shares Authorized 5,000,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesAuthorized     5,000,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesAuthorized          
Common Stock, Shares, Issued 1,600,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued 1,500,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued   1,600,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued   1,500,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued      
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding 1,600,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding 1,500,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding   1,600,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding   1,500,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding      
Common Stock Dividend per Annum $ 1.20us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareCashPaid                
Dividends Paid, Common Shares $ 1,928,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock $ 0us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock $ 0us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock            
Common Stock Voting Rights Number of Votes per Share 1gm_CommonStockVotingRightsNumberofVotesperShare     1gm_CommonStockVotingRightsNumberofVotesperShare          
Stock Repurchased During Period, Equity Impact     5,109,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodValue            
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]                  
Class of Stock [Line Items]                  
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued 0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
156,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
  0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
  156,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
     
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding 0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
156,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
  0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
  156,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
     
Liquidation Preference Per Share $ 25.00us-gaap_PreferredStockLiquidationPreference
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
    $ 25.00us-gaap_PreferredStockLiquidationPreference
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
         
Preferred Stock Dividend per Annum 9.00%us-gaap_PreferredStockDividendRatePercentage
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
               
Dividends Paid, Preferred Shares 1,160,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsPreferredStockAndPreferenceStock
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
1,370,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsPreferredStockAndPreferenceStock
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
621,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsPreferredStockAndPreferenceStock
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
           
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock       3,900,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfPreferredStockAndPreferenceStock
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
3,200,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfPreferredStockAndPreferenceStock
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
       
Charges related to preferred shares redemption       809,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockRedemptionPremium
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
816,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockRedemptionPremium
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
       
Stock Redeemed or Called During Period, Shares         120,000,000us-gaap_StockRedeemedOrCalledDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
       
Percent of Preferred Stock Purchased to Shares Outstanding         43.50%gm_PercentofPreferredStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
       
Percent Of Liquidation Amount         108.10%gm_PercentinExcessofLiquidationAmount
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesAPreferredStockMember
       
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]                  
Class of Stock [Line Items]                  
Liquidation Preference Per Share   $ 50.00us-gaap_PreferredStockLiquidationPreference
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesBPreferredStockMember
      $ 50.00us-gaap_PreferredStockLiquidationPreference
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesBPreferredStockMember
     
Preferred Stock Dividend per Annum   4.75%us-gaap_PreferredStockDividendRatePercentage
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesBPreferredStockMember
             
Dividends Paid, Preferred Shares   237,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsPreferredStockAndPreferenceStock
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesBPreferredStockMember
238,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsPreferredStockAndPreferenceStock
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesBPreferredStockMember
           
Conversion of Stock, Shares Converted           100,000,000us-gaap_ConversionOfStockSharesConverted1
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesBPreferredStockMember
     
Conversion Rate of Preferred Stock to Common                 1.3736us-gaap_ConvertiblePreferredStockSharesIssuedUponConversion
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesBPreferredStockMember
Shares Issued Upon Conversion of Preferred Stock           137,000,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesConversionOfConvertibleSecurities
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesBPreferredStockMember
     
Common Stock Trading Days   40 days              
Common Stock [Member]                  
Class of Stock [Line Items]                  
Common Shares Repurchased During Period             5,000,000gm_SharesRepurchasedDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
   
Stock Repurchased During Period, Shares               200,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
 
Stock Repurchased During Period, Price per Share             $ 33.69gm_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodPriceperShare
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
$ 27.50gm_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodPriceperShare
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
 
Purchase and Retirement of Common Stock               5,500,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
 
Share Price Prior to Common Stock Repurchase               $ 25.49gm_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodPriceperSharepriortorepurchase
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
 
Stock Repurchased During Period, Equity Impact     2,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodValue
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
        5,100,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodValue
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
 
Premium Paid on Repurchase of Common Stock               $ 402,000,000us-gaap_RedemptionPremium
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
 
Shares issued for the settlement of restricted stock and salary stock awards     1,300,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesRestrictedStockAwardNetOfForfeitures
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
           
Shares issued for exercised warrants     400,000gm_NumberOfSharesIssuedForExercisedWarrantsDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember