Supplemental Consolidating Data - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 1,298	$ 423,635	$ 531,451
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	185,715	232,537	264,863
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	71,142	76,326	81,315
Amortization of financing origination fees	14,435	9,823	8,367
Provision for long-term employee benefits	40,833	13,344	36,481
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(20,722)	(13,256)	(10,544)
Stock compensation expense	23,494	33,733	35,539
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	531,701	(5,822)	(56,538)
Provision for credit losses	181,870	134,536	106,870
Deferred income taxes	(44,079)	21,547	(33,981)
Other, net	13,826	298	37,554
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	127,657	44,902	9,143
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	7,418	(11,119)	773
Inventories, net	80,858	(47,576)	(31,059)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(43,087)	(18,462)	196,192
Derivative financial instruments	(3,481)	1,936	473
Other	9,012	(28,110)	29,022
Total change in current assets and liabilities	1,176,592	444,637	674,470
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,177,890	868,272	1,205,921
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(131,050)	(181,440)	(213,516)
Origination of finance receivables	(3,497,486)	(3,847,322)	(3,752,817)
Collections on finance receivables	3,540,289	3,499,717	3,325,669
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0	(10,007)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	0	10,007	0
Acquisition of business	0	(7,000)	0
Other investing activities	21,464	17,912	(11,598)
Net cash used by investing activities	(66,783)	(508,126)	(662,269)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	1,396,602	1,203,236	1,591,828
Repayments of medium-term notes	(1,400,000)	(1,350,000)	(877,488)
Proceeds from securitization debt	2,064,450	1,021,453	0
Repayments of securitization debt	(1,041,751)	(353,251)	(257,869)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	225,187	177,950	509,742
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(318,828)	(318,006)	(212,729)
Net increase (decrease) in unsecured commercial paper	444,380	(563,453)	(135,356)
Deposits	79,947	0	0
Dividends paid	(68,087)	(237,221)	(245,810)
Repurchase of common stock	(8,006)	(296,520)	(390,606)
Issuance of common stock under share-based plans	89	3,589	3,525
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	1,373,983	(712,223)	(14,763)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	18,712	(2,305)	(15,351)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	2,503,802	(354,382)	513,538
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	905,366	1,259,748	746,210
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	2,503,802	(354,382)	513,538
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	3,409,168	905,366	$ 1,259,748
Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from securitization debt	0
Reportable Legal Entities | HDMC Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(48,883)
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	177,113
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	681
Provision for long-term employee benefits	40,833
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(20,722)
Stock compensation expense	17,905
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0
Provision for credit losses	0
Deferred income taxes	(19,097)
Other, net	544
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	161,012
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0
Inventories, net	80,858
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(34,755)
Derivative financial instruments	(3,566)
Other	13,929
Total change in current assets and liabilities	414,735
Net cash provided by operating activities	365,852
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(128,798)
Origination of finance receivables	0
Collections on finance receivables	0
Other investing activities	18,073
Net cash used by investing activities	(110,725)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	0
Repayments of medium-term notes	0
Repayments of securitization debt	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0
Net increase (decrease) in unsecured commercial paper	0
Deposits	0
Dividends paid	(68,087)
Repurchase of common stock	(8,006)
Issuance of common stock under share-based plans	89
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(76,004)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	16,389
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	195,512
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	470,649
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	195,512
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	666,161	470,649
Reportable Legal Entities | HDFS Entities
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	149,744
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	8,602
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	71,142
Amortization of financing origination fees	13,754
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0
Stock compensation expense	1,859
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0
Provision for credit losses	181,870
Deferred income taxes	(24,697)
Other, net	13,718
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	0
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	7,418
Inventories, net	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(40,851)
Derivative financial instruments	85
Other	(4,081)
Total change in current assets and liabilities	228,819
Net cash provided by operating activities	378,563
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(2,252)
Origination of finance receivables	(5,616,347)
Collections on finance receivables	6,192,625
Other investing activities	3,391
Net cash used by investing activities	577,417
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	1,396,602
Repayments of medium-term notes	(1,400,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt	2,064,450
Repayments of securitization debt	(1,041,751)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	225,187
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(318,828)
Net increase (decrease) in unsecured commercial paper	444,380
Deposits	79,947
Dividends paid	(100,000)
Repurchase of common stock	0
Issuance of common stock under share-based plans	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	1,349,987
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	2,323
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	2,308,290
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	434,717
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	2,308,290
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	2,743,007	434,717
Consolidating Adjustments
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(99,563)
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	0
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0
Stock compensation expense	3,730
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	531,701
Provision for credit losses	0
Deferred income taxes	(285)
Other, net	(436)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(33,355)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0
Inventories, net	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	32,519
Derivative financial instruments	0
Other	(836)
Total change in current assets and liabilities	533,038
Net cash provided by operating activities	433,475
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0
Origination of finance receivables	2,118,861
Collections on finance receivables	(2,652,336)
Other investing activities	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(533,475)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	0
Repayments of medium-term notes	0
Proceeds from securitization debt	0
Repayments of securitization debt	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0
Net increase (decrease) in unsecured commercial paper	0
Deposits	0
Dividends paid	100,000
Repurchase of common stock	0
Issuance of common stock under share-based plans	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	100,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$ 0	$ 0