I just heard back from my local Ford dealer here in Los Angeles. He said he should have the Ford Escape Hybrids in 2 - 3 weeks.
Did you ask if there is a big wait list or are people holding out for the early adopters to take the hit?
He had said that they had a few people on the list but didn't seem to think it was necessary for me to sign up. I guess they don't have that many reservations.
I wouldn't trust one word out of a dealer's mouth.... who knows, they could be saying that because their waiting list was too full and they don't want another person bugging them about the wait for their car. I'd get on a waiting list anyway. At the very least, I would contact multiple dealers to make sure they all said the same thing.