I PARKED FACING DOWNWARDS ON A STEEP HILL . AFTER ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS. RETURNED TO MY NEW 2008 SUBARU FORESTER LL BEAN WITH LESS THAN 610 MILES AND FELT SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKE--IT WAS FLAT ON THE FLOOR. THE CAR PICKED UP SPEED (TWO SUCCESSIVE 15% GRADE HILLS); I BRAKED, DOWN SHIFTED AND COULD NOT SLOW THE CAR DOWN. TO AVOID HITTING A CAR IN FRONT OF ME, I DROVE INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. AFTER A TERRIFYING RIDE FOR OVER HALF A MILE, ENDED UP HITTING TWO CURBS, STREET SIGN, FIRE HYDRANT & ENDED UP IN A SOGGY MEADOW. LOTS OF DAMAGE TO CAR BUT MY PASSENGER AND I GOT AWAY WITHOUT A SCRATCH. AFTER THE CRASH THE BRAKE WAS NO LONGER ON THE FLOOR. HOWEVER, THE CAR HASN'T BEEN DRIVEN FOR A ROAD TEST BECAUSE WE ARE STILL AWAITING PARTS TO COME FROM JAPAN. HAVE YOU HEARD OF ANY RECENT INCIDENTS INVOLVING TOTAL BRAKE FAILURES ON LATE MODEL SUBARUS? *TR