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Contingencies
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Contingencies [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]
12. CONTINGENCIES

In February 2012, the International UAW filed suit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleging that AAM violated certain provisions of the collective bargaining agreement related to pension and postretirement benefits. AAM disputes these claims and intends to defend the lawsuit vigorously. While the exact amount of any potential liability is not known, a reasonable estimate of the value of these pension and postretirement benefits, based on the information available to date as a result of the claims asserted by the International UAW, is approximately $18.2 million, as valued by our actuaries. As this case is in the earliest stages of activity, we are unable to predict the timing or outcome of these proceedings at this time. New facts and circumstances may become available in the future that could have a significant impact on this estimate.