The U.S. auto-safety agency said Ford failed to recall more than 600,000 vehicles with defective parts in a timely manner.

Ford Motor Co. will pay a penalty of up to $165 million to the U.S. government for moving too slowly on a recall and failing to give accurate recall information.

Ford Motor Co. agreed to a $165 million civil penalty to settle allegations the company failed to recall cars with defective rearview cameras in a timely manner, the second largest fine ever levied by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Ford was too slow to recall vehicles with faulty rearview cameras, and it failed to give the agency complete information, which is required by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act.