A $165 million fine from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a sluggish recall—one of many in recent years—highlights flaws in the automaker's production safety record.

The regulator faulted the automaker for not recalling cars with defective rearview cameras quickly enough and for providing incomplete and inaccurate information.

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