v2.4.0.6
Derivative Financial Instruments and Risk Management (Details)
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
GM Financial [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments, Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
GM Financial [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments, Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
GM Financial [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
GM Financial [Member]
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2010
Automotive [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Level 1 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Level 1 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Level 2 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Level 2 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2010
Automotive [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Other Current Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Other Current Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Other Noncurrent Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Other Noncurrent Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Other Current Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Other Current Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Other Noncurrent Liability [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Other Noncurrent Liability [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Level 1 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Level 1 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Level 2 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Level 2 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Other Current Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Other Current Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Other Noncurrent Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Other Noncurrent Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Other Current Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Other Current Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Other Noncurrent Liability [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]
Other Noncurrent Liability [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Level 1 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Level 1 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Level 2 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Level 2 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2010
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Other Current Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Other Current Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Other Noncurrent Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Other Noncurrent Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Other Current Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Other Current Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Other Noncurrent Liability [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
Other Noncurrent Liability [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
EUR (€)
Mar. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Level 1 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Level 1 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Level 2 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Level 2 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2010
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Level 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Other Current Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Other Current Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Other Noncurrent Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Other Noncurrent Assets [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Other Current Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Other Current Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Other Noncurrent Liability [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Other Noncurrent Liability [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Automotive [Member]
Warrant [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2011
Automotive [Member]
Warrant [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2012
Coal [Member]
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
EUR (€)
Mar. 31, 2012
Heavy Fuel Oil [Member]
Automotive [Member]
Commodity Contract [Member]
EUR (€)
Mar. 31, 2012
Euro/Turkish Lira Exchange Rate [Member]
Automotive [Member]
Embedded Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
EUR (€)
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]                                                                                                                                                                          
Forward Contract Price                                                                                                                                                                     € 106.22 € 512.78 € 2.86
Supplier nonperformance risk                                                                                   3.68%                                                                                      
Notional Amount of Derivatives         11,990,000,000   10,534,000,000                                   7,294,000,000   6,507,000,000                             3,240,000,000   2,566,000,000                                 1,456,000,000     1,461,000,000                                          
Other Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments Assets at Fair Value                                 109,000,000 101,000,000 91,000,000 124,000,000                           68,000,000 64,000,000 0 0                               16,000,000 9,000,000 9,000,000 0                                 25,000,000 28,000,000 82,000,000 124,000,000                  
Other Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments Liabilities at Fair Value                                         53,000,000 57,000,000 4,000,000 10,000,000                           49,000,000 46,000,000 0 0                               2,000,000 10,000,000 0 5,000,000                                 2,000,000 1,000,000 4,000,000 5,000,000          
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset         200,000,000   225,000,000   0 0 80,000,000 77,000,000 120,000,000   148,000,000                   68,000,000   64,000,000 0 0 68,000,000 64,000,000 0 0                 25,000,000   9,000,000 0 0 9,000,000 9,000,000 16,000,000   0                   107,000,000     152,000,000 0 0 3,000,000 4,000,000 104,000,000   148,000,000                            
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability         57,000,000   67,000,000   0 0 57,000,000 57,000,000 0   10,000,000                   49,000,000   46,000,000 0 0 49,000,000 46,000,000 0 0                 2,000,000   15,000,000 0 0 2,000,000 5,000,000 0   10,000,000                   6,000,000     6,000,000 0 0 6,000,000 6,000,000 0   0                            
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset Value                         120,000,000 57,000,000 138,000,000 0                                                                 16,000,000 0 (10,000,000) 0                                 104,000,000 57,000,000 148,000,000 0                          
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset, Gain (Loss) Included in Earnings                         (39,000,000) 53,000,000                                                                     4,000,000 0                                     (43,000,000) 53,000,000                              
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset and Liability, Gain (Loss) Included in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)                         4,000,000 4,000,000                                                                     0 0                                     4,000,000 4,000,000                              
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset, Settlements                         (7,000,000) 0                                                                     (2,000,000) 0                                     (5,000,000) 0                              
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis,Asset, Issues                         24,000,000 0                                                                     24,000,000 0                                     0 0                              
Gains and (losses) in earnings attributable to the change in unrealized gains or (losses) relating to assets still held at the reporting date                         (42,000,000) 53,000,000                                                                     5,000,000 0                                     (47,000,000) 53,000,000                              
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)         (65,000,000) 53,000,000                                     (16,000,000) (10,000,000)                               (6,000,000) 0                                   (43,000,000)   59,000,000                                   0 4,000,000      
Class of Warrant or Right, Outstanding               4,000,000                                                                                                                                                          
Exercise price for warrants               2.76                                                                                                                                                          
Proceeds from Warrant Exercises             48,000,000                                                                                                                                                            
Derivative Asset, Notional Amount 1,700,000,000 2,000,000,000                                                                                                                                                                      
Derivative Liability, Notional Amount     1,700,000,000 2,000,000,000                                                                                                                                                                  
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Amount                                                                                                                           € 1,000,000,000