What could cause the tail and brake lights to stop working?

The only thing that ties the brake light in with the running lights is the system ground that is under the driver's seat. But please check fuse # f12, f11 and f39 in the fuse panel on the left side of the dash. This guide can help, and I have included the fuse location and wiring diagrams for the lighting system so you can see how it works. Check out the images (below). Let us know what happens and please upload pictures or videos of the problem.