2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

IN AUGUST OF 2009 I PURCHASED A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH APPROXIMATELY 89,000 MILES ON IT. I DRIVE EVERY DAY FOR WORK AS A SALESPERSON SO I HAVE BECOME QUITE ACCUSTOM TO THE VEHICLE AND THE WAY IT HANDLES. FROM THE BEGINNING OF MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE VEHICLE I HAVE NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. MORE SPECIFICALLY WITH THE HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ENGAGE, BUT ALSO WITH A STIFFNESS THAT OCCURS IN THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN IT IS DEPRESSED RAPIDLY. THE ISSUES WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ARE BY FAR THE MOST DISCONCERTING. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN THE ABS ENGAGES THE VEHICLE CEASES TO SLOW DOWN. THIS WILL HAPPEN EVEN IN CONDITIONS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING SLOWLY. FOR INSTANCE, AT 10 MILES PER HOUR THE VEHICLE WILL SLIDE TWO TO THREE METERS WITHOUT SLOWING. THIS DISTANCE INCREASES WITH ADDITIONAL SPEED. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ENGAGE IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE VEHICLE IS NOT SLIDING. THIS HAPPENS MOST COMMONLY ON ROUGH ROAD SURFACES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHERE I SLID INTO AN INTERSECTION, OR BEEN FORCED TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE I HIT A BUMP. THE PROBLEM WITH THE STIFFNESS IN THE BRAKE IS ALSO OF CONCERN TO ME. IF I AM TRYING TO SLOW THE VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING DOWN HILL I FIND THAT THE BREAK BECOMES VERY STIFF. THIS CAN OFTEN LEAD TO THE SITUATION WHERE THE DANGEROUS ANTI-LOCK BRAKE PROBLEM OCCURS. THE PEDAL BECOMES VERY STIFF AND THEN IF I HIT A BUMP THE VEHICLE GOES OUT OF CONTROL CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. ANY RESEARCH INTO A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR