Income Taxes (Details) (Textual) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008
Income Tax Related Disclosure (Textual) [Abstract]
Release of valuation allowance	$ 167,224
Payment for income tax including discontinued operations net of refund	6,988	30,186	(8,405)
Tax loss carry forward state	118,589
Tax loss carry forward foreign	22,422
Deferred tax assets tax credit carry forwards domestic	4,520
Deferred tax assets tax credit carry forwards state and local	5,045
Capital losses	53,516
unrecognized tax benefits for permanent and temporary book/tax differences for continuing operations	987	9,237	7,517	7,623
Income tax receivable	4,963
Recognition of unrecognized tax benefit upon which the effective rate would change	812
Accrued tax provision of interest expense	226	79	451
Unrecognized tax benefits interest on income taxes accrued	0
Cumulative undistributed earnings on which income taxes were not provided	287,360
Impact of full and partial income tax holidays	1,965
Proceeds from Cooper-Standard Automotive, Inc. (CSA)	17,639
Liability release related to CSA	$ 7,400
Percentage of income tax provision (benefit)	35.00%