Accounts Receivable - Allowance for Credit Losses Related to Auto Loan and Lease Receivables (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Allowance at beginning of period	$ 5.9
Total balance at end of period	17.3	$ 5.9
Auto loan and lease receivables
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Allowance at beginning of period	12.9	12.4
Charge-offs	(16.6)	(10.1)
Recoveries	8.8	1.5
Provision expense	17.4	9.1
Allowance at end of period	22.5	12.9
Lease portfolio loss reserve	2.5	0.0
Total balance at end of period	$ 25.0	$ 12.9

Allowance For Doubtful Accounts Receivable Lease Portfolio Loss Reserve

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	lad_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of allowance for credit loss on accounts receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123577603&loc=d3e5074-111524

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255206&loc=SL82895884-210446

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in allowance for credit loss on accounts receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919249-210447

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase in allowance for credit loss on accounts receivable, from recovery.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
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- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of direct write-downs of accounts receivable charged against the allowance.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expense (reversal of expense) for expected credit loss on accounts receivable.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Balance Type:
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