Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 692,164	$ 752,207	$ 844,611
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles	209,555	198,074	179,300
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	86,681	93,546	94,429
Amortization of financing origination fees	9,252	9,975	8,442
Provision for long-term employee benefits	38,273	60,824	33,709
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(55,809)	(28,490)	(29,686)
Stock compensation expense	32,336	29,433	37,929
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	(3,233)	(113,970)	(75,210)
Provision for credit losses	136,617	101,345	80,946
Gain on off-balance sheet asset-backed securitization	(9,269)	0	0
Loss on debt extinguishment	118	1,099	3,942
Deferred income taxes	(165)	(16,484)	(7,621)
Other, net	(6,907)	20,913	20,473
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(45,934)	(13,665)	(9,809)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	(1,489)	(3,046)	(2,515)
Inventories	85,072	(155,222)	(50,886)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	38,237	138,823	21,309
Derivative instruments	(3,413)	(5,615)	703
Other	(27,747)	30,371	(3,389)
Total adjustments	482,175	347,911	302,066
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,174,339	1,100,118	1,146,677
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(256,263)	(259,974)	(232,319)
Origination of finance receivables	(3,664,495)	(3,751,830)	(3,568,423)
Collections on finance receivables	3,175,031	3,136,885	3,013,245
Proceeds from finance receivables sold	312,571	0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	40,014	11,507	41,010
Acquisition of business	0	(59,910)	0
Other	411	7,474	1,837
Net cash used by investing activities	(392,731)	(915,848)	(744,650)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	1,193,396	595,386	991,835
Repayments of medium-term notes	(451,336)	(610,331)	(526,431)
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes		740,385
Repayments of senior unsecured notes			(303,000)
Intercompany borrowing activity		0	0
Proceeds from securitization debt	0	1,195,668	847,126
Repayments of securitization debt	(665,400)	(1,008,135)	(834,856)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	62,396	87,442	84,907
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(71,500)	(72,727)	(77,800)
Net increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	(145,812)	469,473	63,945
Net change in restricted cash	43,495	11,410	22,755
Dividends paid	(252,321)	(249,262)	(238,300)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(465,341)	(1,537,020)	(615,602)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	2,251	3,468	11,540
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	15,782	20,179	37,785
Net cash used by financing activities	(734,390)	(354,064)	(536,096)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(9,443)	(14,677)	(25,863)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	37,775	(184,471)	(159,932)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	722,209	906,680	1,066,612
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	37,775	(184,471)	(159,932)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	759,984	722,209	906,680
Reportable Legal Entities | HDMC Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	707,614	678,010	795,530
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles	202,122	188,926	171,187
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	654	267	59
Provision for long-term employee benefits	38,273	60,824	33,709
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(55,809)	(28,490)	(29,686)
Stock compensation expense	29,811	26,775	35,064
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0
Gain on off-balance sheet asset-backed securitization	0
Loss on debt extinguishment	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	7,772	(4,792)	(191)
Other, net	(7,041)	19,625	42,237
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(67,621)	4,055	(31,740)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0	0	0
Inventories	85,072	(155,222)	(50,886)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	26,005	81,929	18,255
Derivative instruments	(3,413)	(5,615)	703
Other	(25,415)	33,658	(17,187)
Total adjustments	230,410	221,940	171,524
Net cash provided by operating activities	938,024	899,950	967,054
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(245,316)	(249,772)	(224,262)
Origination of finance receivables	0	0	0
Collections on finance receivables	0	0	0
Proceeds from finance receivables sold	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	40,014	11,507	41,010
Acquisition of business		(59,910)
Other	411	7,474	1,837
Net cash used by investing activities	(204,891)	(290,701)	(181,415)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	0	0	0
Repayments of medium-term notes	0	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes		740,385
Repayments of senior unsecured notes			(303,000)
Intercompany borrowing activity		250,000	200,000
Proceeds from securitization debt		0	0
Repayments of securitization debt	0	0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0	0
Net increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	0	0	0
Net change in restricted cash	0	0	0
Dividends paid	(252,321)	(249,262)	(238,300)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(465,341)	(1,537,020)	(615,602)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	2,251	3,468	11,540
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	15,782	20,179	37,785
Net cash used by financing activities	(699,629)	(772,250)	(907,577)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(8,407)	(10,451)	(23,079)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	25,097	(173,452)	(145,017)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	400,443	573,895	718,912
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	25,097	(173,452)	(145,017)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	425,540	400,443	573,895
Reportable Legal Entities | HDFS Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	167,445	174,197	169,081
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles	7,433	9,148	8,113
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	86,681	93,546	94,429
Amortization of financing origination fees	8,598	9,708	8,383
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0	0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0	0	0
Stock compensation expense	2,525	2,658	2,865
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	136,617	101,345	80,946
Gain on off-balance sheet asset-backed securitization	(9,269)
Loss on debt extinguishment	118	1,099	3,942
Deferred income taxes	(7,705)	(11,692)	(7,430)
Other, net	239	1,288	(21,764)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	0	0	0
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	(1,489)	(3,046)	(2,515)
Inventories	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	25,027	18,539	21,629
Derivative instruments	0	0	0
Other	(2,332)	(3,287)	13,798
Total adjustments	246,443	219,306	202,396
Net cash provided by operating activities	413,888	393,503	371,477
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(10,947)	(10,202)	(8,057)
Origination of finance receivables	(7,420,177)	(7,836,279)	(7,693,884)
Collections on finance receivables	6,936,140	7,127,999	7,066,852
Proceeds from finance receivables sold	312,571
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	0	0	0
Acquisition of business		0
Other	0	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(182,413)	(718,482)	(635,089)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	1,193,396	595,386	991,835
Repayments of medium-term notes	(451,336)	(610,331)	(526,431)
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes		0
Repayments of senior unsecured notes			0
Intercompany borrowing activity		(250,000)	(200,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt		1,195,668	847,126
Repayments of securitization debt	(665,400)	(1,008,135)	(834,856)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	62,396	87,442	84,907
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(71,500)	(72,727)	(77,800)
Net increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	(145,812)	469,473	63,945
Net change in restricted cash	43,495	11,410	22,755
Dividends paid	(183,000)	(100,000)	(120,000)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	0	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	0	0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	0	0	0
Net cash used by financing activities	(217,761)	318,186	251,481
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1,036)	(4,226)	(2,784)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	12,678	(11,019)	(14,915)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	321,766	332,785	347,700
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	12,678	(11,019)	(14,915)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	334,444	321,766	332,785
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(182,895)	(100,000)	(120,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles	0	0	0
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	0	0	0
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0	0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0	0	0
Stock compensation expense	0	0	0
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	(3,233)	(113,970)	(75,210)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0
Gain on off-balance sheet asset-backed securitization	0
Loss on debt extinguishment	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(232)	0	0
Other, net	(105)	0	0
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	21,687	(17,720)	21,931
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0	0	0
Inventories	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(12,795)	38,355	(18,575)
Derivative instruments	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0
Total adjustments	5,322	(93,335)	(71,854)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(177,573)	(193,335)	(191,854)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Origination of finance receivables	3,755,682	4,084,449	4,125,461
Collections on finance receivables	(3,761,109)	(3,991,114)	(4,053,607)
Proceeds from finance receivables sold	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	0	0	0
Acquisition of business		0
Other	0	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(5,427)	93,335	71,854
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	0	0	0
Repayments of medium-term notes	0	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes		0
Repayments of senior unsecured notes			0
Intercompany borrowing activity		0	0
Proceeds from securitization debt		0	0
Repayments of securitization debt	0	0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0	0
Net increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	0	0	0
Net change in restricted cash	0	0	0
Dividends paid	183,000	100,000	120,000
Purchase of common stock for treasury	0	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	0	0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	0	0	0
Net cash used by financing activities	183,000	100,000	120,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0