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Segment Reporting - Summary of key financial information by segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Total net sales and revenue	$ 30,826	$ 35,473	$ 36,060	$ 34,878	$ 38,399	$ 35,791	$ 36,760	$ 36,099	$ 137,237	$ 147,049	$ 145,588
Earnings (loss) before interest and taxes-adjusted									8,393	11,783	12,844
Adjustments									(539)	(2,905)	(654)
Automotive interest expense									(4,423)	(3,880)	(3,141)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests									(65)	(9)	(18)
Income before income taxes									7,436	8,549	11,863
Income tax (expense)									(769)	(474)	(11,533)
Income from continuing operations	(192)	2,311	2,403	2,145	2,069	2,530	2,366	1,110	6,667	8,075	330
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax					0	0	0	(70)	0	(70)	(4,212)
Net income attributable to stockholders	(194)	2,351	2,418	2,157	2,044	2,534	$ 2,390	$ 1,046	6,732	8,014	(3,864)
Equity in net assets of nonconsolidated affiliates	8,562				9,215				8,562	9,215	9,073
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	5,337				5,579				5,337	5,579	5,849
Total Assets	228,037				227,339				228,037	227,339	212,482
Expenditures for property									7,592	8,761	8,453
Depreciation and amortization									14,060	13,142	11,967
Impairment charges									58	527	294
Equity income									1,268	2,163	2,132
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | FAW-GM
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Loss on sale of discontinued operations before taxes	164								164
Transformation Activities
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Restructuring charges and other charges	267	390	361	790	1,300
Ignition Switch Recall Litigations
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Ignition switch related legal matters						$ 440
GMNA | Transformation Activities
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Restructuring charges and other charges									1,600	1,200
GMI | Transformation Activities
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Restructuring charges and other charges									115
GMI | Separation Programs in Korea
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Restructuring charges and other charges										1,200
GMI | Brazil | GM Brazil Indirect Tax Claim
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Estimated potential recovery from taxing authority		$ 123	$ 380	$ 857					1,400
GMI | Separation Programs in South Africa and India
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Restructuring charges and other charges											460
GMI | Separation Programs in Venezuela
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Deconsolidation loss											80
Operating Segments | Cruise
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Total net sales and revenue									100	0	0
Earnings (loss) before interest and taxes-adjusted									(1,004)	(728)	(613)
Adjustments										0	0
Equity in net assets of nonconsolidated affiliates	0				0				0	0	0
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	634				671				634	671	679
Total Assets	4,230				3,195				4,230	3,195	666
Expenditures for property									60	15	34
Depreciation and amortization									21	7	1
Impairment charges									36	0	0
Equity income									0	0	0
Operating Segments | GM Financial
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Total net sales and revenue									14,554	14,016	12,151
Earnings (loss) before interest and taxes-adjusted									2,104	1,893	1,196
Adjustments									0	0	0
Equity in net assets of nonconsolidated affiliates	1,455				1,355				1,455	1,355	1,187
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	1,355				1,356				1,355	1,356	1,367
Total Assets	108,881				109,953				108,881	109,953	97,251
Expenditures for property									47	60	94
Depreciation and amortization									7,350	7,531	6,573
Impairment charges									0	0	0
Equity income									166	183	173
Eliminations/ Reclassifications
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Total net sales and revenue									(114)	(110)	(170)
Earnings (loss) before interest and taxes-adjusted									(18)	(4)	(7)
Adjustments									0	0	0
Equity in net assets of nonconsolidated affiliates	0				0				0	0	0
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	0				0				0	0	0
Total Assets	(1,454)				(1,487)				(1,454)	(1,487)	(844)
Expenditures for property									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Impairment charges									0	0	0
Equity income									0	0	0
Automotive
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Automotive interest income									429	335	266
Automotive interest expense									(782)	(655)	(575)
Automotive | Operating Segments
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Total net sales and revenue									122,697	133,143	133,607
Earnings (loss) before interest and taxes-adjusted									7,311	10,622	12,268
Adjustments									(539)	(2,905)	(654)
Equity in net assets of nonconsolidated affiliates	7,107				7,860				7,107	7,860	7,886
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	3,348				3,552				3,348	3,552	3,803
Total Assets	116,380				115,678				116,380	115,678	115,409
Expenditures for property									7,485	8,686	8,325
Depreciation and amortization									6,689	5,604	5,393
Impairment charges									22	527	294
Equity income									1,102	1,980	1,959
Automotive | Operating Segments | GMNA
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Total net sales and revenue									106,366	113,792	111,345
Earnings (loss) before interest and taxes-adjusted									8,204	10,769	11,889
Adjustments									(1,618)	(1,236)	0
Equity in net assets of nonconsolidated affiliates	84				75				84	75	68
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	2,459				2,623				2,459	2,623	2,819
Total Assets	109,290				109,763				109,290	109,763	99,874
Expenditures for property									6,305	7,784	7,704
Depreciation and amortization									6,112	4,995	4,654
Impairment charges									15	55	78
Equity income									8	8	8
Automotive | Operating Segments | GMI
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Total net sales and revenue									16,111	19,148	21,920
Earnings (loss) before interest and taxes-adjusted									(202)	423	1,300
Adjustments									1,081	(1,212)	(540)
Equity in net assets of nonconsolidated affiliates	7,023				7,761				7,023	7,761	7,818
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	888				928				888	928	973
Total Assets	24,969				24,911				24,969	24,911	27,712
Expenditures for property									1,096	883	607
Depreciation and amortization									533	562	708
Impairment charges									7	466	211
Equity income									1,123	1,972	1,951
Automotive | Corporate
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Total net sales and revenue									220	203	342
Earnings (loss) before interest and taxes-adjusted									(691)	(570)	(921)
Adjustments									(2)	(457)	(114)
Equity in net assets of nonconsolidated affiliates	0				24				0	24	0
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	1				1				1	1	11
Total Assets	32,365				31,694				32,365	31,694	30,573
Expenditures for property									84	21	14
Depreciation and amortization									46	50	32
Impairment charges									0	6	5
Equity income									(29)	0	0
Automotive | Corporate | Ignition Switch Recall Litigations
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Ignition switch related legal matters										440	114
Automotive | Eliminations/ Reclassifications
Revenue and others for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Equity in net assets of nonconsolidated affiliates	0				0				0	0	0
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	0				0				0	0	0
Total Assets	$ (50,244)				$ (50,690)				(50,244)	(50,690)	(42,750)
Expenditures for property									0	(2)	0
Depreciation and amortization									(2)	(3)	(1)
Impairment charges									0	0	0
Equity income									$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

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