Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 521,759	$ 692,164	$ 752,207
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles	222,188	209,555	198,074
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	82,911	86,681	93,546
Amortization of financing origination fees	8,045	9,252	9,975
Provision for long-term employee benefits	29,900	38,273	60,824
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(63,277)	(55,809)	(28,490)
Stock compensation expense	32,491	32,336	29,433
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	35,172	(3,233)	(113,970)
Provision for credit losses	132,444	136,617	101,345
Gain on off-balance sheet asset-backed securitization	0	(9,269)	0
Loss on debt extinguishment	0	118	1,099
Deferred income taxes	50,855	(165)	(16,484)
Other, net	8,559	(6,907)	20,913
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(18,149)	(45,934)	(13,665)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	(1,313)	(1,489)	(3,046)
Inventories	(20,584)	85,072	(155,222)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	10,128	38,237	138,823
Derivative instruments	1,866	(3,413)	(5,615)
Other	(27,934)	(27,747)	30,371
Total adjustments	483,302	482,175	347,911
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,005,061	1,174,339	1,100,118
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(206,294)	(256,263)	(259,974)
Origination of finance receivables	(3,591,948)	(3,664,495)	(3,751,830)
Collections on finance receivables	3,228,311	3,175,031	3,136,885
Proceeds from finance receivables sold	0	312,571	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	6,916	40,014	11,507
Acquisition of business	0	0	(59,910)
Other	547	411	7,474
Net cash used by investing activities	(562,468)	(392,731)	(915,848)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	893,668	1,193,396	595,386
Repayments of medium-term notes	(800,000)	(451,336)	(610,331)
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes	0	0	740,385
Intercompany borrowing activity			0
Proceeds from securitization debt	0	0	1,195,668
Repayments of securitization debt	(444,671)	(665,400)	(1,008,135)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	469,932	62,396	87,442
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(176,227)	(71,500)	(72,727)
Net increase (decrease) in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	212,809	(145,812)	469,473
Net change in restricted cash	8,458	43,495	11,410
Dividends paid	(251,862)	(252,321)	(249,262)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(465,263)	(465,341)	(1,537,020)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	0	2,251	3,468
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	11,353	15,782	20,179
Net cash used by financing activities	(541,803)	(734,390)	(354,064)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	26,747	(9,443)	(14,677)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(72,463)	37,775	(184,471)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	759,984	722,209	906,680
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(72,463)	37,775	(184,471)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	687,521	759,984	722,209
Reportable Legal Entities | HDMC Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	578,727	707,614	678,010
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles	215,639	202,122	188,926
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	655	654	267
Provision for long-term employee benefits	29,900	38,273	60,824
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(63,277)	(55,809)	(28,490)
Stock compensation expense	29,570	29,811	26,775
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
Deferred income taxes	29,949	7,772	(4,792)
Other, net	4,858	(7,041)	19,625
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(6,792)	(67,621)	4,055
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0	0	0
Inventories	(20,584)	85,072	(155,222)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	9,753	26,005	81,929
Derivative instruments	1,785	(3,413)	(5,615)
Other	(31,868)	(25,415)	33,658
Total adjustments	199,588	230,410	221,940
Net cash provided by operating activities	778,315	938,024	899,950
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(193,204)	(245,316)	(249,772)
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	6,916	40,014	11,507
Acquisition of business			(59,910)
Other	547	411	7,474
Net cash used by investing activities	(185,741)	(204,891)	(290,701)
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
Intercompany borrowing activity			250,000
Proceeds from securitization debt			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 (decrease) in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	0	0	0
Net change in restricted cash	0	0	0
Dividends paid	(251,862)	(252,321)	(249,262)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(465,263)	(465,341)	(1,537,020)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments		2,251	3,468
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	11,353	15,782	20,179
Net cash used by financing activities	(705,772)	(699,629)	(772,250)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	25,844	(8,407)	(10,451)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(87,354)	25,097	(173,452)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	425,540	400,443	573,895
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(87,354)	25,097	(173,452)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	338,186	425,540	400,443
Reportable Legal Entities | HDFS Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	139,234	167,445	174,197
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles	6,549	7,433	9,148
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	82,911	86,681	93,546
Amortization of financing origination fees	7,390	8,598	9,708
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0	0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0	0	0
Stock compensation expense	2,921	2,525	2,658
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	132,444	136,617	101,345
Gain on off-balance sheet asset-backed securitization		(9,269)
Loss on debt extinguishment		118	1,099
Deferred income taxes	21,497	(7,705)	(11,692)
Other, net	3,498	239	1,288
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	0	0	0
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	(1,313)	(1,489)	(3,046)
Inventories	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(11,497)	25,027	18,539
Derivative instruments	81	0	0
Other	(1,684)	(2,332)	(3,287)
Total adjustments	242,797	246,443	219,306
Net cash provided by operating activities	382,031	413,888	393,503
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(13,090)	(10,947)	(10,202)
Origination of finance receivables	(7,109,624)	(7,420,177)	(7,836,279)
Collections on finance receivables	6,786,702	6,936,140	7,127,999
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	(336,012)	(182,413)	(718,482)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	893,668	1,193,396	595,386
Repayments of medium-term notes	(800,000)	(451,336)	(610,331)
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes			0
Intercompany borrowing activity			(250,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt			1,195,668
Repayments of securitization debt	(444,671)	(665,400)	(1,008,135)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	469,932	62,396	87,442
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(176,227)	(71,500)	(72,727)
Net increase (decrease) in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	212,809	(145,812)	469,473
Net change in restricted cash	8,458	43,495	11,410
Dividends paid	(196,000)	(183,000)	(100,000)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	0	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments		0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	0	0	0
Net cash used by financing activities	(32,031)	(217,761)	318,186
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	903	(1,036)	(4,226)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	14,891	12,678	(11,019)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	334,444	321,766	332,785
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	14,891	12,678	(11,019)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	349,335	334,444	321,766
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(196,202)	(182,895)	(100,000)
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	35,172	(3,233)	(113,970)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0
Gain on off-balance sheet asset-backed securitization		0
Loss on debt extinguishment		0	0
Deferred income taxes	(591)	(232)	0
Other, net	203	(105)	0
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(11,357)	21,687	(17,720)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0	0	0
Inventories	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	11,872	(12,795)	38,355
Derivative instruments	0	0	0
Other	5,618	0	0
Total adjustments	40,917	5,322	(93,335)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(155,285)	(177,573)	(193,335)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Origination of finance receivables	3,517,676	3,755,682	4,084,449
Collections on finance receivables	(3,558,391)	(3,761,109)	(3,991,114)
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	(40,715)	(5,427)	93,335
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
Intercompany borrowing activity			0
Proceeds from securitization debt			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 (decrease) in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	0	0	0
Net change in restricted cash	0	0	0
Dividends paid	196,000	183,000	100,000
Purchase of common stock for treasury	0	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments		0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	0	0	0
Net cash used by financing activities	196,000	183,000	100,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	0	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0