Accounts Receivable - Allowance for Credit Losses Related to Auto Loan and Lease Receivables (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Total allowance for loan and lease losses balance at end of period	$ 18.7	$ 17.3
Auto Loan Receivables
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Allowance for loan losses at beginning of period	22.5	12.4
Charge-offs	(10.3)	(3.4)
Recoveries	4.2	1.9
Provision expense	9.8	1.1
Allowance for loan losses at end of period	26.2	12.0
Allowance for lease losses	3.2	0.0
Total allowance for loan and lease losses balance at end of period	$ 29.4	$ 12.0

Allowance For Doubtful Accounts Receivable Lease Losses

No definition available.

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

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

- Details

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Balance Type:
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