Summary of Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Summary of Accounting Policies (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	For purposes of this report, “Ford,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” “us,” or similar references mean Ford Motor Company, our consolidated subsidiaries, and our consolidated VIEs of which we are the primary beneficiary, unless the context requires otherwise.
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Our financial statements are presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information, instructions to Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X.
Reclassifications, Policy [Policy Text Block]	We reclassified certain prior year amounts in our consolidated financial statements to conform to the current year presentation.
Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]	In June 2018, Argentina was classified as having a highly inflationary economy due to the three-year cumulative consumer price index exceeding 100%. As a result, we changed the functional currency for our operations in Argentina from the Argentine peso to the U.S. dollar as of July 1, 2018.
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Revenue is recognized when obligations under the terms of a contract with our customer are satisfied; generally this occurs with the transfer of control of our vehicles, parts, accessories, or services. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for transferring goods or providing services. Sales, value add, and other taxes we collect concurrent with revenue-producing activities are excluded from revenue. Incidental items that are immaterial in the context of the contract are recognized as expense. The expected costs associated with our base warranties continue to be recognized as expense when the products are sold. We recognize revenue for vehicle service contracts that extend mechanical and maintenance coverages beyond our base warranties over the life of the contract. We do not have any material significant payment terms as payment is received at or shortly after the point of sale. Automotive Segment Vehicles, Parts, and Accessories. For the majority of vehicles, parts, and accessories, we transfer control and recognize a sale when we ship the product from our manufacturing facility to our customer (dealers and distributors). We receive cash equal to the invoice price for most vehicle sales at the time of wholesale. When the vehicle sale is financed by our wholly-owned subsidiary Ford Credit, the dealer pays Ford Credit when it sells the vehicle to the retail customer. Payment terms on part sales to dealers, distributors, and retailers range from 30 days to 120 days. The amount of consideration we receive and revenue we recognize varies with changes in marketing incentives and returns we offer to our customers and their customers. When we give our dealers the right to return eligible parts and accessories, we estimate the expected returns based on an analysis of historical experience. We adjust our estimate of revenue at the earlier of when the most likely amount of consideration we expect to receive changes or when the consideration becomes fixed. As a result, we recorded a decrease related to revenue recognized in prior periods of $182 million and $240 million in the third quarter of 2017 and 2018, respectively. Depending on the terms of the arrangement, we may also defer the recognition of a portion of the consideration received because we have to satisfy a future obligation (e.g., free extended service contracts). We use an observable price to determine the stand-alone selling price for separate performance obligations or a cost plus margin approach when one is not available. We have elected to recognize the cost for freight and shipping when control over vehicles, parts, or accessories have transferred to the customer as an expense in Cost of sales. We sell vehicles to daily rental companies and guarantee that we will pay them the difference between an agreed amount and the value they are able to realize upon resale. At the time of transfer of vehicles to the daily rental companies, we record the probable amount we will pay under the guarantee to Other liabilities and deferred revenue. Used Vehicles. We sell used vehicles both at auction and through our consolidated dealerships. Proceeds from the sale of these vehicles are recognized in Automotive revenues upon transfer of control of the vehicle to the customer and the related vehicle carrying value is recognized in Cost of sales. Extended Service Contracts. We sell separately-priced service contracts that extend mechanical and maintenance coverages beyond our base warranty agreements to vehicle owners. The separately priced service contracts range from 12 months to 120 months. We receive payment at contract inception and recognize revenue over the term of the agreement in proportion to the costs we expect to incur in satisfying the contract obligations. At January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017, $3.5 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively, of unearned revenue associated with outstanding contracts was reported in Other liabilities and deferred revenue. We recognized $256 million and $262 million of the unearned amounts as revenue during the third quarter of 2017 and 2018, respectively, and $797 million and $829 million in the first nine months of 2017 and 2018, respectively. At September 30, 2018, the unearned amount was $4 billion. We expect to recognize approximately $300 million of the unearned amount in the remainder of 2018, $1.1 billion in 2019, and $2.6 billion thereafter. We record a premium deficiency reserve to the extent we estimate the future costs associated with these contracts exceed the unrecognized revenue. Amounts paid to dealers to obtain these contracts are deferred and recorded as Other assets. These costs are amortized to expense consistent with how the related revenue is recognized. We had a balance of $232 million and $242 million in deferred costs as of December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2018, respectively. Amortization of $17 million and $18 million was recognized during the third quarter of 2017 and 2018, respectively, and $46 million and $55 million in the first nine months of 2017 and 2018, respectively. NOTE 3. REVENUE (Continued) Other Revenue. Other revenue consists primarily of net commissions received for serving as the agent in facilitating the sale of a third party’s products or services to our customers and payments for vehicle-related design and testing services we perform for others. We have applied the practical expedient to recognize Automotive revenues for vehicle-related design and testing services over the two to three year term of these agreements in proportion to the amount we have the right to invoice. Leasing Income. We sell vehicles to daily rental companies with an obligation to repurchase the vehicles for a guaranteed amount, exercisable at the option of the customer. The transactions are accounted for as operating leases. Upon the transfer of vehicles to the daily rental companies, we record proceeds received in Other liabilities and deferred revenue. The difference between the proceeds received and the guaranteed repurchase amount is recorded in Automotive revenues over the term of the lease using a straight-line method. The cost of the vehicle is recorded in Net investment in operating leases on our consolidated balance sheet and the difference between the cost of the vehicle and the estimated auction value is depreciated in Cost of sales over the term of the lease. Ford Credit Segment Leasing Income. Ford Credit offers leasing plans to retail consumers through Ford and Lincoln brand dealers who originate the leases. Ford Credit records an operating lease upon purchase of a vehicle subject to a lease from the dealer. The retail consumer makes lease payments representing the difference between Ford Credit’s purchase price of the vehicle and the contractual residual value of the vehicle, plus lease fees that we recognize on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease agreement. Depreciation and the gain or loss upon disposition of the vehicle is recorded in Ford Credit interest, operating, and other expenses. Financing Income. Ford Credit originates and purchases finance installment contracts. Financing income represents interest earned on the finance receivables (including direct financing leases). Interest is recognized using the interest method, and includes the amortization of certain direct origination costs. Insurance Income. Income from insurance contracts is recognized evenly over the term of the agreement. Insurance commission revenue is recognized on a net basis at the time of sale of the third party’s product or service to our customer.
RevenueTransactionPriceMeasurementTaxExclusionPolicy [Policy Text Block]	Sales, value add, and other taxes we collect concurrent with revenue-producing activities are excluded from revenue.
Revenue Recognition, Sales of Services [Policy Text Block]	Extended Service Contracts. We sell separately-priced service contracts that extend mechanical and maintenance coverages beyond our base warranty agreements to vehicle owners. The separately priced service contracts range from 12 months to 120 months. We receive payment at contract inception and recognize revenue over the term of the agreement in proportion to the costs we expect to incur in satisfying the contract obligations. At January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017, $3.5 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively, of unearned revenue associated with outstanding contracts was reported in Other liabilities and deferred revenue. We recognized $256 million and $262 million of the unearned amounts as revenue during the third quarter of 2017 and 2018, respectively, and $797 million and $829 million in the first nine months of 2017 and 2018, respectively. At September 30, 2018, the unearned amount was $4 billion. We expect to recognize approximately $300 million of the unearned amount in the remainder of 2018, $1.1 billion in 2019, and $2.6 billion thereafter. We record a premium deficiency reserve to the extent we estimate the future costs associated with these contracts exceed the unrecognized revenue. Amounts paid to dealers to obtain these contracts are deferred and recorded as Other assets. These costs are amortized to expense consistent with how the related revenue is recognized. We had a balance of $232 million and $242 million in deferred costs as of December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2018, respectively. Amortization of $17 million and $18 million was recognized during the third quarter of 2017 and 2018, respectively, and $46 million and $55 million in the first nine months of 2017 and 2018, respectively. NOTE 3. REVENUE (Continued) Other Revenue. Other revenue consists primarily of net commissions received for serving as the agent in facilitating the sale of a third party’s products or services to our customers and payments for vehicle-related design and testing services we perform for others. We have applied the practical expedient to recognize Automotive revenues for vehicle-related design and testing services over the two to three year term of these agreements in proportion to the amount we have the right to invoice.
Revenue Recognition Leases, Operating [Policy Text Block]	Leasing Income. We sell vehicles to daily rental companies with an obligation to repurchase the vehicles for a guaranteed amount, exercisable at the option of the customer. The transactions are accounted for as operating leases. Upon the transfer of vehicles to the daily rental companies, we record proceeds received in Other liabilities and deferred revenue. The difference between the proceeds received and the guaranteed repurchase amount is recorded in Automotive revenues over the term of the lease using a straight-line method. The cost of the vehicle is recorded in Net investment in operating leases on our consolidated balance sheet and the difference between the cost of the vehicle and the estimated auction value is depreciated in Cost of sales over the term of the lease.
Revenue Recognition, Premiums Earned, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Insurance Income. Income from insurance contracts is recognized evenly over the term of the agreement. Insurance commission revenue is recognized on a net basis at the time of sale of the third party’s product or service to our customer.
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]	For interim tax reporting, we estimate one single effective tax rate for tax jurisdictions not subject to a valuation allowance, which is applied to the year-to-date ordinary income/(loss). Tax effects of significant unusual or infrequently occurring items are excluded from the estimated annual effective tax rate calculation and recognized in the interim period in which they occur.
Receivables [Abstract]
Finance Loans and Leases Receivable, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Leasing Income. Ford Credit offers leasing plans to retail consumers through Ford and Lincoln brand dealers who originate the leases. Ford Credit records an operating lease upon purchase of a vehicle subject to a lease from the dealer. The retail consumer makes lease payments representing the difference between Ford Credit’s purchase price of the vehicle and the contractual residual value of the vehicle, plus lease fees that we recognize on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease agreement. Depreciation and the gain or loss upon disposition of the vehicle is recorded in Ford Credit interest, operating, and other expenses. Financing Income. Ford Credit originates and purchases finance installment contracts. Financing income represents interest earned on the finance receivables (including direct financing leases). Interest is recognized using the interest method, and includes the amortization of certain direct origination costs. For all finance receivables, we define “past due” as any payment, including principal and interest, that is at least 31 days past the contractual due date. Impaired consumer receivables include accounts that have been rewritten or modified in reorganization proceedings pursuant to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code that are considered to be Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDRs”), as well as all accounts greater than 120 days past due. Impaired non-consumer receivables represent accounts with dealers that have weak or poor financial metrics or dealer financing that has been modified in TDRs.
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Derivative assets and liabilities are recorded on our consolidated balance sheet at fair value and are presented on a gross basis. The notional amounts of the derivative instruments do not necessarily represent amounts exchanged by the parties and are not a direct measure of our financial exposure. We also enter into master agreements with counterparties that may allow for netting of exposures in the event of default or breach of the counterparty agreement. Collateral represents cash received or paid under reciprocal arrangements that we have entered into with our derivative counterparties which we do not use to offset our derivative assets and liabilities. In the normal course of business, our operations are exposed to global market risks, including the effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, certain commodity prices, and interest rates. To manage these risks, we enter into highly effective derivative contracts. We have elected to apply hedge accounting to certain derivatives. Derivatives that are designated in hedging relationships are evaluated for effectiveness using regression analysis at the time they are designated and throughout the hedge period. Some derivatives do not qualify for hedge accounting; for others, we elect not to apply hedge accounting.
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Guarantees, Indemnifications and Warranties Policies [Policy Text Block]	Warranty and Field Service Actions We accrue an amount for estimated cost associated with warranty and field service actions (i.e., safety recalls, emission recalls, and customer satisfaction actions) at the time of sale using a patterned estimation model that includes historical information regarding the nature, frequency, and average cost of claims for each vehicle line by model year. Warranty and field service action obligations are reported in Other liabilities and deferred revenue. We reevaluate the adequacy of our accruals on a regular basis. We recognize the benefit from a recovery of the costs associated with our warranty and field service actions when specifics of the recovery have been agreed with our supplier and the collection of the recovery is virtually certain. Recoveries are reported in Trade and other receivables and Other assets. Guarantees and indemnifications are recorded at fair value at their inception. We regularly review our performance risk under these arrangements, and in the event it becomes probable we will be required to perform under a guarantee or indemnity, the amount of probable payment is recorded. We guarantee the resale value of vehicles sold in certain arrangements to daily rental companies. The maximum potential payment of $1.2 billion as of September 30, 2018 included in the table above represents the total proceeds we guarantee the rental company will receive on re-sale. Reflecting our present estimate of proceeds the rental companies will receive on resale from third parties, we have recorded $374 million as our best estimate of the amount we will have to pay under the guarantee. We also guarantee debt and lease obligations of certain joint ventures, as well as certain financial obligations of outside third parties, including suppliers, to support our business and economic growth. Expiration dates vary through 2033, and guarantees will terminate on payment and/or cancellation of the underlying obligation. A payment by us would be triggered by failure of the joint venture or other third party to fulfill its obligation covered by the guarantee. In some circumstances, we are entitled to recover from a third party amounts paid by us under the guarantee. However, our ability to enforce these rights is sometimes stayed until the guaranteed party is paid in full, and may be limited in the event of insolvency of the third party or other circumstances. In the ordinary course of business, we execute contracts involving indemnifications standard in the industry and indemnifications specific to a transaction, such as the sale of a business. These indemnifications might include and are not limited to claims relating to any of the following: environmental, tax, and shareholder matters; intellectual property rights; power generation contracts; governmental regulations and employment-related matters; dealer, supplier, and other commercial contractual relationships; and financial matters, such as securitizations. Performance under these indemnities generally would be triggered by a breach of terms of the contract or by a third-party claim. While some of these indemnifications are limited in nature, many of them do not limit potential payment. Therefore, we are unable to estimate a maximum amount of future payments that could result from claims made under these unlimited indemnities.
Commitments and Contingencies, Policy [Policy Text Block]	As noted, the litigation process is subject to many uncertainties, and the outcome of individual matters is not predictable with assurance. Our assessments are based on our knowledge and experience, but the ultimate outcome of any matter could require payment substantially in excess of the amount that we have accrued and/or disclosed. Litigation and Claims Various legal actions, proceedings, and claims (generally, “matters”) are pending or may be instituted or asserted against us. These include but are not limited to matters arising out of alleged defects in our products; product warranties; governmental regulations relating to safety, emissions, and fuel economy or other matters; government incentives; tax matters; alleged illegal acts resulting in fines or penalties; financial services; employment-related matters; dealer, supplier, and other contractual relationships; intellectual property rights; environmental matters; shareholder or investor matters; and financial reporting matters. Certain of the pending legal actions are, or purport to be, class actions. Some of the matters involve or may involve claims for compensatory, punitive, or antitrust or other treble damages in very large amounts, or demands for field service actions, environmental remediation programs, sanctions, loss of government incentives, assessments, or other relief, which, if granted, would require very large expenditures. The extent of our financial exposure to these matters is difficult to estimate. Many matters do not specify a dollar amount for damages, and many others specify only a jurisdictional minimum. To the extent an amount is asserted, our historical experience suggests that in most instances the amount asserted is not a reliable indicator of the ultimate outcome. NOTE 17. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Continued) We accrue for matters when losses are deemed probable and reasonably estimable. In evaluating matters for accrual and disclosure purposes, we take into consideration factors such as our historical experience with matters of a similar nature, the specific facts and circumstances asserted, the likelihood that we will prevail, and the severity of any potential loss. We reevaluate and update our accruals as matters progress over time. For the majority of matters, which generally arise out of alleged defects in our products, we establish an accrual based on our extensive historical experience with similar matters. We do not believe there is a reasonably possible outcome materially in excess of our accrual for these matters. For the remaining matters, where our historical experience with similar matters is of more limited value (i.e., “non-pattern matters”), we evaluate the matters primarily based on the individual facts and circumstances. For non-pattern matters, we evaluate whether there is a reasonable possibility of a material loss in excess of any accrual that can be estimated.
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Below is a description of our reportable segments and other activities. Automotive Segment Our Automotive segment primarily includes the sale of Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories worldwide, together with the associated costs to develop, manufacture, distribute, and service the vehicles, parts, and accessories. This segment includes revenues and costs related to our electrification vehicle programs. The segment includes five regional business units: North America, South America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific. Mobility Segment Our Mobility segment primarily includes development costs related to our autonomous vehicles and our investment in mobility through Ford Smart Mobility LLC (“FSM”). Autonomous vehicles includes self-driving systems development and vehicle integration, autonomous vehicle research and advanced engineering, AV transportation-as-a-service network development, user experience, and business strategy and business development teams. FSM designs and builds mobility services on its own, and collaborates with start-ups and tech companies. Ford Credit Segment The Ford Credit segment is comprised of the Ford Credit business on a consolidated basis, which is primarily vehicle-related financing and leasing activities. Corporate Other Corporate Other primarily includes corporate governance expenses, interest income (excluding interest earned on our extended service contract portfolio that is included in our Automotive segment) and portfolio gains and losses from our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, and foreign exchange derivatives gains and losses associated with intercompany lending. Corporate governance expenses are primarily administrative, delivering benefit on behalf of the global enterprise and are not allocated to specific Automotive business units or operating segments. These include expenses related to setting and directing global policy, providing oversight and stewardship, and promoting the Company’s interests. The underlying assets and liabilities associated with these activities remain with the respective Automotive and Mobility segments. Interest on Debt Interest on Debt is presented as a separate reconciling item and consists of interest expense on Automotive and Other debt. The underlying liability is reported in the Automotive segment and in Corporate Other. NOTE 18. SEGMENT INFORMATION (Continued) Special Items Special Items are presented as a separate reconciling item. They consist of (i) pension and OPEB remeasurement gains and losses, (ii) significant personnel and dealer-related costs stemming from our efforts to match production capacity and cost structure to market demand and changing model mix, and (iii) other items that we do not necessarily consider to be indicative of earnings from ongoing operating activities. Our management excludes these items from its review of the results of the operating segments for purposes of measuring segment profitability and allocating resources. We also report these special items separately to help investors track amounts related to these activities and to allow investors analyzing our results to identify certain infrequent significant items that they may wish to exclude when considering the trend of ongoing operating results.