The Company	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
The Company	Note 1 — The Company Gentherm Incorporated is a global technology and industry leader in the design, development, and manufacturing of innovative thermal management technologies. Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” used herein refer to Gentherm Incorporated and its consolidated subsidiaries. Our products provide solutions for automotive passenger comfort and convenience, battery thermal management, remote power generation, patient temperature management, environmental product testing and other consumer and industrial temperature control needs. Our automotive products can be found on the vehicles of nearly all major automotive manufacturers operating in North America, Europe and Asia. We operate in locations aligned with our major customers’ product strategies in order to provide locally enhanced design, integration and production capabilities and to identify future thermal technology product opportunities in both automotive and other markets. We concentrate our research on the development of new technologies and new applications from existing technologies to create product and market opportunities for a wide array of thermal management solutions. Investment On December 22, 2016, Gentherm entered into a subscription agreement to purchase preferred shares of stock from a development-stage technology company for approximately $4,500. The proceeds will be used to finance the development of new technologies we hope to be able to leverage in our design and development of new electric power generation applications. The investment was accounted for using the cost-method. Since the investment was made nine days before the end of the 2016 period and no adverse events or changes in circumstance have occurred, the investment’s $4,500 carrying value approximates its fair value as of December 31, 2016. No dividends were paid to Gentherm during the year ended December 31, 2016. The investment was recorded to other non-current assets in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. Cincinnati Sub-Zero On April 1, 2016, we acquired all of the equity of privately-held Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, LLC (“CSZ”) and related assets in an all-cash transaction. CSZ manufactures both high quality patient temperature management systems for the health care industry and custom testing equipment used by a wide range of industrial manufacturing companies for product testing. CSZ’s world headquarters and manufacturing operations are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. See Note 4 for additional information regarding the acquisition of CSZ. North American Reorganization On January 4, 2016 and January 5, 2016, the Company completed reorganization transactions (the “Reorganization”) related to our North American business (the “Windsor Operations”). As part of our original integration plan to eliminate redundancies associated with the 2011 acquisition of Gentherm GmbH (formerly named W.E.T. Automotive Systems AG), the Windsor Operations have been consolidated into our existing European and North American facilities. As a result of the Reorganization, some of the business activities previously performed by the Windsor Operations are now being performed by other subsidiaries. Related to the Reorganization, the Company declared intercompany dividends, incurred and paid related withholding taxes to the Canadian Revenue Agency of $7,600, during 2016. Additionally, the Company incurred income tax expense of $2,500 related to the intercompany dividends. These amounts incurred are expected to cover all future intercompany dividends needed to distribute the remaining earnings of the subsidiary to its parent in conjunction with the potential future liquidation of the subsidiary. Note 1 — The Company (Continued) In addition to the $7,600 of withholding taxes and $2,500 of income taxes, the Reorganization will require the Company to make a one-time income tax payment of approximately $32,600. The one-time income tax payment was accrued during 2016; however, the Company also recorded an offsetting deferred charge for approximately the same amount because the one-time income tax payment will result in tax deductions against income taxes in future periods. Therefore, the income tax payment did not have a material impact on the Company’s earnings during the first quarter of 2016 nor any subsequent quarter of 2016. The withholding tax payment was paid entirely in 2016. The income tax payments of $2,500 and $32,600 are expected to be paid during the first half of 2017 and are included in accrued liabilities as of December 31, 2016. The deferred charge is included in other non-current assets as of December 31, 2016. Reportable Segments The Company has two reportable segments for financial reporting purposes: Automotive and Industrial. Automotive The Automotive reporting segment is comprised of the results from our global automotive businesses. Operating results from our automotive seat comfort systems, specialized automotive cable systems and other automotive and non-automotive thermal convenience products are all reported in the automotive segment because of their complementary focus on automotive content and/or individual comfort and convenience. Automotive seat comfort systems include seat heaters, variable temperature Climate Control Seats^TM (“CCS”) designed to provide individualized thermal comfort to automobile passengers, and integrated electronic components, such as blowers and electronic control units, that utilize our proprietary electronics technology . Specialized automotive cable system products include ready-made wire harnesses and related wiring products. Automotive products include the automotive steering wheel heater, heated and cooled cup holder and thermal storage bin. Revenues from our non-automotive products include the heated and cooled mattress and furniture. Our automotive segment customers include light vehicle original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”), commercial vehicle OEMs, and Tier 1 suppliers to the automotive OEMs, including automotive seat manufacturers. We also directly supply CCS and seat heaters to aftermarket seat distributors and installers. Industrial The Industrial reporting segment represents the combined results from our remote power generation systems business, our patient temperature management systems business, our environmental testing equipment business and our advanced research and product development division. Our remote power generation systems business is managed by our subsidiary Gentherm Global Power Technologies (“GPT”). The advanced research and product development division is engaged in projects to improve the efficiency of thermal management technologies and to develop, market, and distribute products based on these new technologies. The operating results from these businesses and division are presented together as one reporting segment because of their joint concentration on identifying new, non-automotive markets and product applications based on thermal management technologies. See Note 11 for information regarding the Company’s segment revenues from external customers, including geographic composition, operating income, goodwill and changes to the presentation of prior year information.

Note 1 — The Company

Gentherm Incorporated is a global technology and industry leader in the design, development, and manufacturing of innovative thermal management technologies. Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” used herein refer to Gentherm Incorporated and its consolidated subsidiaries. Our products provide solutions for automotive passenger comfort and convenience, battery thermal management, remote power generation, patient temperature management, environmental product testing and other consumer and industrial temperature control needs. Our automotive products can be found on the vehicles of nearly all major automotive manufacturers operating in North America, Europe and Asia. We operate in locations aligned with our major customers’ product strategies in order to provide locally enhanced design, integration and production capabilities and to identify future thermal technology product opportunities in both automotive and other markets. We concentrate our research on the development of new technologies and new applications from existing technologies to create product and market opportunities for a wide array of thermal management solutions.

Investment

On December 22, 2016, Gentherm entered into a subscription agreement to purchase preferred shares of stock from a development-stage technology company for approximately $4,500. The proceeds will be used to finance the development of new technologies we hope to be able to leverage in our design and development of new electric power generation applications. The investment was accounted for using the cost-method. Since the investment was made nine days before the end of the 2016 period and no adverse events or changes in circumstance have occurred, the investment’s $4,500 carrying value approximates its fair value as of December 31, 2016. No dividends were paid to Gentherm during the year ended December 31, 2016. The investment was recorded to other non-current assets in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.

Cincinnati Sub-Zero

On April 1, 2016, we acquired all of the equity of privately-held Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, LLC (“CSZ”) and related assets in an all-cash transaction. CSZ manufactures both high quality patient temperature management systems for the health care industry and custom testing equipment used by a wide range of industrial manufacturing companies for product testing. CSZ’s world headquarters and manufacturing operations are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. See Note 4 for additional information regarding the acquisition of CSZ.

North American Reorganization

On January 4, 2016 and January 5, 2016, the Company completed reorganization transactions (the “Reorganization”) related to our North American business (the “Windsor Operations”). As part of our original integration plan to eliminate redundancies associated with the 2011 acquisition of Gentherm GmbH (formerly named W.E.T. Automotive Systems AG), the Windsor Operations have been consolidated into our existing European and North American facilities. As a result of the Reorganization, some of the business activities previously performed by the Windsor Operations are now being performed by other subsidiaries.

Related to the Reorganization, the Company declared intercompany dividends, incurred and paid related withholding taxes to the Canadian Revenue Agency of $7,600, during 2016. Additionally, the Company incurred income tax expense of $2,500 related to the intercompany dividends. These amounts incurred are expected to cover all future intercompany dividends needed to distribute the remaining earnings of the subsidiary to its parent in conjunction with the potential future liquidation of the subsidiary.

Note 1 — The Company (Continued)

In addition to the $7,600 of withholding taxes and $2,500 of income taxes, the Reorganization will require the Company to make a one-time income tax payment of approximately $32,600. The one-time income tax payment was accrued during 2016; however, the Company also recorded an offsetting deferred charge for approximately the same amount because the one-time income tax payment will result in tax deductions against income taxes in future periods. Therefore, the income tax payment did not have a material impact on the Company’s earnings during the first quarter of 2016 nor any subsequent quarter of 2016. The withholding tax payment was paid entirely in 2016. The income tax payments of $2,500 and $32,600 are expected to be paid during the first half of 2017 and are included in accrued liabilities as of December 31, 2016. The deferred charge is included in other non-current assets as of December 31, 2016.

Reportable Segments

The Company has two reportable segments for financial reporting purposes: Automotive and Industrial.

Automotive

The Automotive reporting segment is comprised of the results from our global automotive businesses. Operating results from our automotive seat comfort systems, specialized automotive cable systems and other automotive and non-automotive thermal convenience products are all reported in the automotive segment because of their complementary focus on automotive content and/or individual comfort and convenience.

Automotive seat comfort systems include seat heaters, variable temperature Climate Control Seats^TM (“CCS”) designed to provide individualized thermal comfort to automobile passengers, and integrated electronic components, such as blowers and electronic control units, that utilize our proprietary electronics technology . Specialized automotive cable system products include ready-made wire harnesses and related wiring products. Automotive products include the automotive steering wheel heater, heated and cooled cup holder and thermal storage bin. Revenues from our non-automotive products include the heated and cooled mattress and furniture.

Our automotive segment customers include light vehicle original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”), commercial vehicle OEMs, and Tier 1 suppliers to the automotive OEMs, including automotive seat manufacturers. We also directly supply CCS and seat heaters to aftermarket seat distributors and installers.

Industrial

The Industrial reporting segment represents the combined results from our remote power generation systems business, our patient temperature management systems business, our environmental testing equipment business and our advanced research and product development division. Our remote power generation systems business is managed by our subsidiary Gentherm Global Power Technologies (“GPT”). The advanced research and product development division is engaged in projects to improve the efficiency of thermal management technologies and to develop, market, and distribute products based on these new technologies. The operating results from these businesses and division are presented together as one reporting segment because of their joint concentration on identifying new, non-automotive markets and product applications based on thermal management technologies.

See Note 11 for information regarding the Company’s segment revenues from external customers, including geographic composition, operating income, goodwill and changes to the presentation of prior year information.