================================================================================


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                              ---------------------

                                    Form 11-K

                              ---------------------


            ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
                              EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



[X]   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
      EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2001

                                       OR

[ ]  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
     EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD __________ TO __________


COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 1-12387

     A.   Full title of the plan and address of the plan, if different from that
          of the issuer named below:


                      THE TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE EMPLOYEE STOCK
                      OWNERSHIP PLAN FOR SALARIED EMPLOYEES


     B.   Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan and the
          address of its principal executive office:

                             TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE INC.
                              500 NORTH FIELD DRIVE
                              LAKE FOREST, IL 60045


================================================================================


REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS




To the Tenneco Automotive Inc. Benefits Committee:


We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for plan
benefits of THE TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN FOR SALARIED
EMPLOYEES as of December 31, 2001 and 2000, and the related statement of changes
in net assets available for plan benefits for the year ended December 31, 2001.
These financial statements and the supplemental schedule referred to below are
the responsibility of the Tenneco Automotive Inc. Benefits Committee. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and
supplemental schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted
in the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the
audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are
free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis,
evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An
audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant
estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial
statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis
for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in
all material respects, the net assets available for plan benefits of The Tenneco
Automotive Employee Stock Ownership Plan for Salaried Employees as of December
31, 2001 and 2000, and the changes in net assets available for plan benefits for
the year ended December 31, 2001, in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States.

Our audits were made for the purpose of forming an opinion on the basic
financial statements taken as a whole. The supplemental schedule of assets (held
at end of year) as of December 31, 2001, included as Schedule I, is presented
for purposes of additional analysis and is not a required part of the basic
financial statements but is supplementary information required by the Department
of Labor's Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. This supplemental schedule has been
subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audits of the basic
financial statements and, in our opinion, is fairly stated in all material
respects in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole.





Chicago, Illinois
May 31, 2002


                      THE TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE EMPLOYEE STOCK
                      OWNERSHIP PLAN FOR SALARIED EMPLOYEES

              STATEMENTS OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR PLAN BENEFITS

                        AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2001 AND 2000



                                                                            2001              2000
                                                                       -------------      -------------
                                                                                    
ASSETS:
    Investments, at fair value-
       Corporate securities-
           Pactiv Corporation common stock                             $  14,591,308      $  13,384,361
           Tenneco Automotive Inc. common stock                            8,112,979          5,581,011
                                                                       -------------      -------------
                                                                          22,704,287         18,965,372
                                                                       -------------      -------------
       Collective trust funds-
           Barclays Global Investors Equity Index Fund T                  14,443,134         18,432,984
           Barclays Global Investors U.S. Debt Market Index Fund K
                                                                           2,604,856          1,995,138
                                                                       -------------      -------------
                                                                          17,047,990         20,428,122
                                                                       -------------      -------------
       Registered investment companies-
           Fidelity Growth Company Fund                                   23,388,891         35,820,390
           Fidelity Low Priced Stock Fund                                  1,045,630                 --
           INVESCO Total Return Fund                                       2,930,929          3,113,216
           Putnam New Opportunities Fund                                   7,682,991         12,551,084
           Templeton Foreign Fund                                          2,181,764          2,491,171
                                                                       -------------      -------------
                                                                          37,230,205         53,975,861
                                                                       -------------      -------------

           Nations Cash Reserves                                          29,642,286         33,467,829
                                                                       -------------      -------------

           Bankers Trust Pyramid Directed Account Cash Fund                1,272,623          1,097,034
                                                                       -------------      -------------

           Participant loans receivable                                    1,833,882          2,748,114
                                                                       -------------      -------------
                     Total investments                                   109,731,273        130,682,332
                                                                       -------------      -------------

       Receivables-
           Employee contributions                                            271,390            309,036
           Employer contributions                                            348,619            269,886
           Accrued interest and dividends                                     59,883            192,679
           Due from broker                                                        --            184,536
           Other                                                                  --             47,519
                                                                       -------------      -------------
                     Total receivables                                       679,892          1,003,656
                                                                       -------------      -------------
                     Total assets                                        110,411,165        131,685,988
                                                                       -------------      -------------

LIABILITIES:
    Due to broker                                                            (50,052)          (369,315)
    Administrative expenses                                                 (200,208)           (82,920)
                                                                       -------------      -------------
                     Total liabilities                                      (250,260)          (452,235)
                                                                       -------------      -------------

NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR PLAN BENEFITS                                 $ 110,160,905      $ 131,233,753
                                                                       =============      =============



                 The accompanying notes to financial statements
              are an integral part of these financial statements.


                      THE TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE EMPLOYEE STOCK
                      OWNERSHIP PLAN FOR SALARIED EMPLOYEES


                       STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
                           AVAILABLE FOR PLAN BENEFITS

                      FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2001



                                                                       
ADDITIONS:
    Dividends                                                             $     336,245
                                                                          -------------
    Interest                                                                  1,304,252
                                                                          -------------

    Repayment of loan interest                                                  178,293
                                                                          -------------

    Net appreciation (depreciation) in fair value of investments-
           Corporate securities                                               1,987,058
           Collective trust funds                                            (1,958,542)
           Registered investment companies                                  (13,280,279)
                                                                          -------------
                     Total net depreciation in fair value of
                        investments                                         (13,251,763)
                                                                          -------------
                     Net investment loss                                    (11,432,973)
                                                                          -------------

    Contributions-
       Employee                                                               7,509,546
       Employer                                                               4,793,938
       Rollover                                                                 159,715
                                                                          -------------
                     Total contributions                                     12,463,199
                                                                          -------------

   Transfer from The Tenneco Automotive Employee Stock Ownership Plan
     for Hourly Employees                                                       172,592
                                                                          -------------
                     Total additions                                          1,202,818
                                                                          -------------

DEDUCTIONS:
    Benefits paid to participants                                           (21,424,251)
    Administrative expenses                                                    (851,415)
                                                                          -------------
                     Total deductions                                       (22,275,666)
                                                                          -------------

NET DECREASE                                                                (21,072,848)
                                                                          -------------

NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR PLAN BENEFITS:
    Beginning of year                                                       131,233,753
                                                                          -------------
    End of year                                                           $ 110,160,905
                                                                          =============



                 The accompanying notes to financial statements
                are an integral part of this financial statement.


                      THE TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE EMPLOYEE STOCK
                      OWNERSHIP PLAN FOR SALARIED EMPLOYEES


                   NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SCHEDULE

                           DECEMBER 31, 2001 AND 2000




1.    DESCRIPTION OF THE TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN FOR
      SALARIED EMPLOYEES

      The following description of The Tenneco Automotive Employee Stock
      Ownership Plan for Salaried Employees (the "Plan") provides only general
      information. Participants should refer to the Plan document for a more
      complete description of the Plan's provisions.

      GENERAL

      The Plan is a defined contribution plan established by Tenneco Automotive
      Inc. (the "Company") on February 1, 2000. The Plan is subject to the
      provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
      amended ("ERISA").

      Effective February 1, 2000, Tenneco Automotive Inc. employees who were
      participants in the Pactiv Corporation Thrift Plan (the "Pactiv Plan") had
      their participant account balances transferred to the Plan.

      ELIGIBILITY AND CONTRIBUTIONS

      Salaried employees are eligible to participate in the Plan the first day
      of the month following the Company's receipt of an application for
      enrollment or two complete calendar months of employment provided the
      employee has not waived automatic enrollment.

      Any employee who was enrolled in the Pactiv Plan as of January 1, 2000,
      and who continued to be an active employee of the Company was
      automatically enrolled in the Plan effective February 1, 2000.

      An employee is automatically enrolled in the Plan upon completion of the
      eligibility requirements at a pretax contribution rate of 4% of
      compensation, unless the employee elects to waive automatic enrollment
      prior to the effective date. Participants can elect to increase the pretax
      deferral rate from 4% up to 16%, in any whole percentage, at any time.
      Total pretax contributions were limited to $10,500 for 2001 and 2000.
      Effective January 1, 2001, the Company's matching contribution was reduced
      to 75% (previously 100%) of the participant's deferral contributions not
      to exceed 8% of the participant's compensation. The Company may also make
      discretionary contributions to participants' accounts.



                                      -2-


      Company contributions are made in the Company's common stock. The
      Company's contributions and the related earnings/losses must remain in the
      form of the Company's common stock until the participant reaches age 55 or
      terminates employment and requests a total distribution.

      INVESTMENT OPTIONS

      Each participant has the right upon enrollment to select the funds in
      which the balance in the participant's account, excluding Company
      contributions, will be invested. During 2001, participants can invest in
      Company common stock, two collective trust funds, five registered
      investment companies and a money market fund.

      Shares of Pactiv Corporation common stock, transferred from the Pactiv
      Plan are held in a separate fund; however, participants cannot direct
      contributions or fund transfers to this fund.

      VESTING

      All participants are 100% vested in their entire account balance in the
      Plan.

      WITHDRAWALS AND PARTICIPANT LOANS

      Upon retirement or other termination of employment, the participant may
      receive the value of his account as a lump-sum distribution. A participant
      who has attained the age of 55 may elect to make an in-service withdrawal
      of the Company's matching account. In-service withdrawals of deferral
      contributions may be made by participants who have attained age 59 1/2.

      Active participants and certain other individuals who have not had a loan
      during the previous three months may obtain a loan with a term not to
      exceed 54 months from his account. The borrower may have only one loan
      outstanding at any time, and the amount of the loan may not be less than
      $1,000 and shall not exceed the lesser of (a) $50,000 or (b) one-half the
      borrower's account balance. The loan interest rate is equal to The Wall
      Street Journal prime rate. Loan principal and interest repayments are made
      through payroll deductions.

      ADMINISTRATION

      The Plan is administered by the Tenneco Automotive Inc. Benefits Committee
      (the "Committee"). Bankers Trust Company served as trustee through January
      1, 2002. Effective January 2, 2002, Putnam Fiduciary Trust Company serves
      as the trustee.


2.    SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES

      BASIS OF ACCOUNTING

      The financial statements of the Plan are presented on the accrual basis of
      accounting. The investments of the Plan are generally reported at quoted
      market value. Collective trust funds are valued by reference to published
      market data, as available, of the underlying assets. Participant loans
      receivable are reported at cost which approximates fair value.


                                      -3-


      EARNINGS

      Individual participants' accounts are credited daily with investment
      earnings and losses. Investment earnings and losses are credited based
      upon the number of units held in an individual participant's account and
      the fair value per unit based upon the net asset value or share price of
      the underlying securities at the close of business each day.

      EXPENSES

      Substantially all administrative expenses are paid by the Plan. These
      expenses include record-keeping, audit and trustee fees.

      USE OF ESTIMATES

      The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting
      principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to
      use estimates and assumptions that affect the accompanying financial
      statements and disclosures. Actual results could differ from those
      estimates.


3.    NONPARTICIPANT-DIRECTED INVESTMENTS

      Information about the net assets relating to the nonparticipant-directed
      investments (i.e., the Company's matching contributions) is as follows as
      of December 31, 2001 and 2000:



                                                                  2001             2000
                                                               -----------     -----------

                                                                         
          Tenneco Automotive Inc. common stock                 $ 6,013,015     $ 4,343,812

          Bankers Trust Pyramid Directed Account Cash Fund
                                                                   139,792          87,313
          Employer's contribution receivable                       348,619         269,886
          Due to broker                                                 --          (8,119)
                                                               -----------     -----------
                               Net assets                      $ 6,501,426     $ 4,692,892
                                                               ===========     ===========


      The significant components of the change in net assets relating to the
      nonparticipant-directed investments for the year ended December 31, 2001,
      are as follows:

          Interest and dividends                                    $     6,317
          Net depreciation in fair value of corporate securities     (2,439,270)
          Employer contributions                                      4,793,938
          Net interfund transfers                                       229,685
          Benefits paid to participants                                (796,950)
          Transfer from The Tenneco Automotive Employee
             Stock Ownership Plan for Hourly Employees                   14,814
                                                                    -----------
                    Increase in net assets                          $ 1,808,534
                                                                    ===========

4.    RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

      The Plan provides for investment in corporate securities, collective trust
      funds, registered investment companies and money market funds. Investment
      securities, in general, are




                                      -4-

      exposed to various risks, such as interest rate, credit and overall market
      volatility risk. Due to the level of risk associated with certain
      investment securities, it is reasonably possible that changes in the value
      of investment securities will occur in the near term.


5.    RECONCILIATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO FORM 5500

      The following is a reconciliation of net assets available for Plan
      benefits per the financial statements to the Form 5500 as of December 31,
      2000:

          Net assets available for Plan benefits per the
              financial statements                                $ 131,233,753
          Less- Amounts allocated to withdrawing
              participants at December 31, 2000                        (176,681)
                                                                  -------------
          Net assets available for Plan benefits per the
              Form 5500                                           $ 131,057,072
                                                                  =============


      The following is a reconciliation of benefits paid to participants per the
      financial statements to the Form 5500 for the year ended December 31,
      2001:

          Benefits paid per the financial statements              $  21,424,251
          Less- Amounts allocated to withdrawing participants at
              December 31, 2000                                        (176,681)
                                                                  -------------
          Benefits paid per the Form 5500                         $  21,247,570
                                                                  =============


      Amounts allocated to withdrawing participants are recorded on the Form
      5500 for benefits paid that have been processed and approved for payment
      prior to December 31, but not paid as of that date.


6.    FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

      The Internal Revenue Service issued a determination letter dated April 30,
      2002, stating that the Plan was designed in accordance with applicable
      Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), requirements as of
      that date. However, the Plan administrator believes that the Plan is
      currently designed and is being operated in compliance with the applicable
      requirements of the Code. Therefore, the Plan administrator believes that
      the Plan was qualified and the related trust was tax-exempt as of the
      financial statement dates.


7.    TERMINATION OF THE PLAN

      Although the Company intends to continue the Plan indefinitely, they
      reserve the right to terminate the Plan. Any assets which are not
      allocated to the accounts of participants upon the complete termination of
      the Plan, or complete discontinuance of contributions, will be allocated
      among all of the participants' accounts pro rata on the basis of their
      respective balances.



                                      -5-


8.    PARTY IN INTEREST

      The Plan invests in shares of the Bankers Trust Pyramid Directed Account
      Cash Fund which is managed by Bankers Trust Company. Bankers Trust Company
      was the trustee during 2001 and, therefore, these transactions qualify as
      party-in-interest transactions.

      The Plan also invests in shares of Tenneco Automotive Inc. common stock.
      Tenneco Automotive Inc. is the Plan's sponsor and, therefore, these
      transactions qualify as party-in-interest transactions.


9.    SUBSEQUENT EVENT

      Effective January 1, 2002, the Company's matching contribution was reduced
      to 50% of the participant's deferral contributions not to exceed 8% of the
      participant's compensation. Company contributions made on or after this
      date will be made in cash.

      All Company contributions (and related earnings) made prior to January 1,
      2002, will remain in the form of the Company's common stock until the
      participant reaches age 55 or terminates employment and requests a total
      distribution.




                                                                      SCHEDULE I


                      THE TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE EMPLOYEE STOCK
                      OWNERSHIP PLAN FOR SALARIED EMPLOYEES


                     SCHEDULE H, LINE 4i--SCHEDULE OF ASSETS
                              (HELD AT END OF YEAR)

                             AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2001



                                                                                                             CURRENT
            IDENTITY OF ISSUE                         DESCRIPTION OF ASSET                  COST              VALUE
----------------------------------------  --------------------------------------------  ------------      -------------
                                                                                                  
Pactiv Corporation                         Pactiv Corporation common stock                   **            $ 14,591,308
Tenneco Automotive Inc.*                   Tenneco Automotive Inc. common stock         $32,659,907           8,112,979
Barclays Global Investors                  Barclays Global Investors Equity Index
                                               Fund T                                        **              14,443,134
Barclays Global Investors                  Barclays Global Investors U.S. Debt
                                               Market Index Fund K                           **               2,604,856
Fidelity Investment Institutional
    Services Co.                           Fidelity Growth Company Fund                      **              23,388,891
Fidelity Investment Institutional
    Services Co.                           Fidelity Low Priced Stock Fund                    **               1,045,630
INVESCO Funds Group, Inc.                  INVESCO Total Return Fund                         **               2,930,929
Putnam Management Company                  Putnam New Opportunities Fund                     **               7,682,991
Franklin Templeton                         Templeton Foreign Fund                            **               2,181,764
Bank of America , N.A.                     Nations Cash Reserves                             **              29,642,286
Bankers Trust Company*                     Bankers Trust Pyramid Directed Account
                                               Cash Fund                                  1,272,623           1,272,623
The Tenneco Automotive Employee Stock
    Ownership Plan for Salaried            Participant loans receivable (interest
    Employees*                                 rates ranging from 4.75% to 9.50%)            **               1,833,882
                                                                                        -----------        ------------
                                                                Total assets (held
                                                                   at end of year)                         $109,731,273
                                                                                                           ============




               *Indicated party-in-interest.

              **Cost omitted for participant-directed investments.



          The accompanying notes are an integral part of this schedule.



                                   SIGNATURES






The Plan. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of
1934, the Tenneco Automotive Inc. Benefits Committee has duly caused this annual
report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunder duly authorized.



                                             THE TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE EMPLOYEE
                                             STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN FOR SALARIED
                                             EMPLOYEES



Date:  May 31, 2002                          /s/ RICHARD P. SCHNEIDER
                                             --------------------------------
                                             RICHARD P. SCHNEIDER
                                             CHAIRMAN OF TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE INC.
                                               BENEFITS COMMITTEE




                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS



     EXHIBIT
      NUMBER                       DESCRIPTION
     -------        ------------------------------------------

      23.1          Consent of Independent Public Accountants
      99.1          Representation regarding Arthur Andersen LLP