The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Ford's inaction failed to "prioritize the safety of the American public."

DETROIT (AP) — 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.

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has imposed a $165 million penalty on Ford Motor for failing to meet federal recall standards. It was the second-largest civil penalty in the agency’s history.

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 the second-largest civil penalty in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's history after the Dearborn automaker failed to comply with federal recall requirements,

NHTSA fined Ford $165 million for being slow to issue a recall for defective rearview cameras. F ord Motor Company must pay up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration