2001 LEXUS IS 300 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

FAILURE OF ABS FEATURE / MALFUNCTION OF BRAKES AROUND 07/14/05 WHEN MY WIFE BRAKED WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY, THE BRAKES LOCKED AND THE CAR SKIDDED WITH THE REAR WHEELS PULLING OUT TOWARDS RIGHT. SHE WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AS SHE WAS EXITING AND WAS DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED (<45 MPH) ON 7/23/05 WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR, TO AVOID A CAR THAT WAS GETTING IN MY LANE (THE LEFT MOST LANE) I BRAKED HARD. THE SPEED OF THE CAR WAS ABOUT 65 MPH. THE BRAKES JUST LOCKED EVEN AFTER I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CAR SKIDDED WITH THE REAR WHEELS PULLING OUT TOWARDS RIGHT. I WENT THROUGH TWO LANES OF THE HIGWAY, CRASHED THROUGH THE BARBED WIRE FENCE, THE CAR FLIPPED IN AIR AND LANDED UPSIDE DOWN IN THE DITCH (ABOUT 15 FEET DEEP). ALL THE WHILE DURING THE SKID THE BRAKES WERE LOCKED AND I COULD DO NOTHING TO UNLOCK THEM OR TAKE CONTROL OF THE CAR. LUCKILY I AND MY WIFE SURVIVED WITH MINOR INJURIES BUT WE ARE BOTH TRAUMATIZED BY THE EVENT. THE CAR HAS BEEN DECLARED TOTALLED BY THE INSURANCE CO. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 51K MILES ON IT AND IT HAS ABS. THE CAR HAS HAD ALL THE SERVICES DONE AT THE DEALER SINCE THE FIRST SERVICE. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHY THE BRAKES LOCKED OR WHY THE ABS FAILED. IN ADDITION TO ABS THE CAR ALSO HAS TRACTION CONTROL, LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY ETC BUT NOTHING HELPED GETTING CONTROL OVER THE STEERING. *JB