LIGHTS APPEARED ON DASH "BRAKE MALFUNCTION", "CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM", "CHECK VSC SYSTEM". TOOK MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM AND IT WOULD COST $6000 TO REPAIR. I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN MY 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. IN THAT CASE, TOYOTA ISSUED A WARRANTY EXTENSION AND THE BRAKES WERE FIXED BY THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I HAD NOT YET DECIDED WHAT TO DO ABOUT MY CURRENT BRAKE PROBLEM. I HAD JUST GOTTEN ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED AS THEY WERE GETTING BALD. I WAS ON A TRIP BACK FROM VA TO SC WITH MY FAMILY ON I-95 SOUTH. IT WAS RAINING. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND THERE WAS HEAVY TRAFFIC. THERE WAS SUDDENLY A LARGE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AHEAD OF ME AND CARS CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP IN BOTH LANES. I HIT THE BRAKES AND BEGAN TO SKID. I DO NOT THINK THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH WATER ON THE ROAD THAT I WAS HYDROPLANING...I WAS SIMPLY SKIDDING ON THE WET PAVEMENT. I COULD NOT STOP IN TIME TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, SO I STEERED INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, STILL SKIDDING. ANOTHER CAR SWERVED INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE SO I TURNED THE WHEEL AGAIN TO SKID INTO THE GRASS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I WAS NOW SKIDDING SIDEWAYS DOWN A GRASSY EMBANKMENT TOWARDS TREES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMBANKMENT. LUCKILY THE CAR FINALLY SKIDDED TO A STOP AND CAME SLOWLY TO REST AGAINST A TREE. THERE WAS BODY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, BUT NOBODY WAS INJURED. I AM SURE THAT THE ABS BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONING AND