UPON BRAKING WHILE DRIVING OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT OR LOOSE GRAVEL, OR WHILE ACCELERATING THROUGH A TURN, THE ABS [OR TRACTION CONTROL] MALFUNCTIONS CAUSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SINK TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKING DISTANCE TO BE DRAMATICALLY INCREASE. THIS HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES NOW, TWICE WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR, AND THE LAST TIME NEARLY HAD ME GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 55-60 MPH, THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME HAD TO BRAKE SUDDENLY DUE TO A MERGE IN FRONT OF THEM. I HIT THE BRAKES AS NORMAL, ABOUT 50% PEDAL DEPRESSION, AND THE CAR STARTED BRAKING NORMALLY UNTIL IT PASSED OVER A SMALL PATCH OF LOOSE GRAVEL ON THE FREEWAY, AT WHICH POINT THE PEDAL SANK TO THE GROUND AND THE VEHICLE NO LONGER PROCEEDED TO SLOW DOWN. I HAD TO VEER TO THE LEFT, NEARLY COLLIDING WITH THE CENTER MEDIAN AND ENDED UP PASSING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE OF THE BRAKING DISTANCE INCREASING. I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE LOOKED INTO AND EVEN A TECH AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT IT IS A FAULTY ABS HCU (HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT), AND THAT THE VALVES STICKING IN THE HCU CAUSE THE PRESSURE TO GO INTO A SEMI-INFINITE LOOP INSTEAD OF EXITING OUT BACK TO THE CALIPERS. THIS CAUSES AROUND 80% OF THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE TO BE WASTED, AND BRAKING REQUIRES DEPRESSING THE PEDAL NEARLY TO THE FLOOR. THE TECH ADMITTED THAT THERE ARE NEW HCUS AVAILABLE THAT DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM, AND THERE IS A POTENTIAL RECALL PENDING. THE TECH INSTRUCTED ME TO REMOVE THE ABS FUSE AS WELL AS THE ABS PUMP F