Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities Income Effect of Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Derivative [Line Items]
Maximum Length of Time Hedged in Cash Flow Hedge			2 years
Automotive [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member] \| Foreign currency exchange contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recorded in OCI	$ (131)	$ 60	$ (500)	$ 254
Gain/(Loss) Reclassified from AOCI to Income	(129)	45	(279)	81
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income	(2)	(4)	(2)	(2)
Automotive [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income	21	(299)	(133)	(297)
Automotive [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Foreign currency exchange contracts - operating exposures [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income	(75)	48	(110)	61
Automotive [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Commodity Contract [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income	96	(344)	(19)	(356)
Automotive [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Other - warrants [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income		(3)	(4)	(2)
Financial Services [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Fair Value Hedging Instruments	118	372	276	418
Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Hedged Item in Fair Value Hedge	(112)	(378)	(268)	(440)
Financial Services [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Fair Value Hedging [Member] \| Interest rate contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income	50	39	134	156
Net interest settlements and accruals excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness	44	45	126	178
Ineffectiveness	6	(6)	8	(22)
Financial Services [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income	(85)	139	(272)	68
Financial Services [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Foreign currency exchange contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income	(16)	12	(70)	(26)
Financial Services [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Interest rate contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income	(8)	11	(12)	7
Financial Services [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cross-currency interest rate swap contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income	(61)	33	(109)	2
Financial Services [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Other [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income	$ 0	$ 83	$ (81)	$ 85

The amount recognized in earnings related to the change in fair value during the period of derivative or nonderivative instruments designated as fair value hedging instruments.

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- Definition

The amount recognized in earnings related to the change in fair value during the period of the hedged item in a fair value hedge.

+ References

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- Definition

The effective portion of net gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into income on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments.

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- Definition

The amount of net gains and losses recognized in income during the period on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments in fair value hedges and related hedged items designated and qualifying in fair value hedges, on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments in cash flow hedges, and on derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments.

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The effective portion of gains and losses (net) on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments that was recognized in other comprehensive income during the current period.

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- Definition

The net gain (loss) included in earnings for the period relating to components of the gain (loss) on interest rate fair value hedging instruments excluded from the assessment of fair value hedge effectiveness.

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The net gain (loss) recognized in earnings during the period due to the ineffectiveness on interest rate fair value hedges.

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Maximum length of time over which the entity is hedging its exposure to the variability in future cash flows for forecasted transactions, excluding those forecasted transactions related to the payment of variable interest on existing financial instruments, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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