Selected Quarterly Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 750,212	$ 704,134	$ 679,130	$ 619,163	$ 770,487	$ 737,671	$ 698,408	$ 601,496	$ 2,752,639	$ 2,808,062	$ 2,854,656
Gross profit	131,524	114,366	99,141	88,259	124,638	139,947	94,223	84,485	433,290	443,293	551,395
Net income (loss) attributable to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company	$ 51,259	$ 29,344	$ 8,821	$ 6,979	$ (419)	$ 53,713	$ 15,008	$ 8,285	$ 96,404	$ 76,586	$ 95,400
Basic earnings (loss) per share attributable to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.02	$ 0.58	$ 0.18	$ 0.14	$ (0.01)	$ 1.07	$ 0.30	$ 0.16	$ 1.92	$ 1.52	$ 1.83
Diluted earnings (loss) per share attributable to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.02	$ 0.58	$ 0.18	$ 0.14	$ (0.01)	$ 1.07	$ 0.30	$ 0.16	$ 1.91	$ 1.51	$ 1.81
Consolidated operating profit	$ 63,583	$ 52,769	$ 31,671	$ 26,431	$ 24,826	$ 81,201	$ 32,763	$ 26,454	$ 174,455	$ 165,245	$ 309,247
Interest expense	(7,590)	(7,476)	(7,810)	(8,314)	(8,142)	(7,930)	(8,417)	(7,691)	(31,189)	(32,181)	(32,048)
Interest income	2,571	1,507	1,999	3,380	3,514	2,399	1,988	2,315	9,458	10,216	7,362
Other pension and postretirement benefit expense	(13,355)	(9,562)	(9,288)	(9,362)	(6,921)	(6,932)	(6,967)	(6,986)	(41,567)	(27,806)	(37,523)
Other non-operating expense	(892)	(509)	(1,463)	1,380	(1,288)	2,922	(1,391)	(1,658)	(1,485)	(1,416)	(3,113)
Income before income taxes	44,317	36,729	15,109	13,515	11,989	71,660	17,976	12,434	109,672	114,058	243,925
Net income	52,871	29,008	9,258	7,178	439	55,433	15,709	8,983	98,317	80,563	96,745
Unallocated corporate charges
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Consolidated operating profit	(15,186)	(11,051)	(13,278)	(10,453)	(13,376)	(12,518)	(13,705)	(11,966)	(49,968)	(51,564)	(59,153)
Intercompany
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	(23,748)	(30,093)	(41,691)	(39,558)	(43,143)	(53,434)	(53,843)	(45,140)	(135,090)	(195,560)	(180,991)
Consolidated operating profit	484	710	(569)	(566)	894	372	336	(250)	60	1,353	(1,827)
Americas Tire
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									2,315,497	2,330,457	2,376,808
Americas Tire | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	654,526	601,957	582,307	514,936	664,138	628,704	584,412	485,392	2,353,726	2,362,646	2,416,778
Consolidated operating profit	84,209	67,941	46,814	38,789	70,432	87,353	40,480	31,236	237,753	229,500	355,059
Americas Tire | Intercompany
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									38,229	32,189	(39,970)
International Tire
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									437,143	477,621	477,848
International Tire | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	119,434	132,270	138,514	143,785	149,492	162,401	167,839	161,244	534,003	640,976	618,869
Consolidated operating profit	$ (5,924)	$ (4,831)	$ (1,296)	$ (1,339)	$ (33,124)	$ 5,994	$ 5,652	$ 7,434	(13,390)	(14,044)	15,168
International Tire | Intercompany
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales									$ 96,860	$ 163,355	$ (141,021)