I work in the automotive repair industry in all facets of it, and I want to say that the majority of shops are not out there to blatantly rip anybody off, they just can't any more. Word travels too quick now a days, word of mouth is a huge factor to a business and one bad experience with a customer can cause cyber nightmares for the shop for years. I feel like shops, be it mechanical repair or collision, that have been around for a while and don't have a ton of google or BBB (I can't stand the BBB, but they do a good job of keeping consumer complaints on record) hits that come back as negative you are probably pretty safe assuming you are not going to be completely ripped off.
However, and this is a big however, that is not to say that they won't sell you things that "could" be replaced and present it to you as a "need to do" item. Some people, a small percentage but still some, get everything done on their car at any time they are told to do something to it right down to paying someone $75 to replace a cabin air filter. It's very possible that this is being done for your items they are talking about. My thoughts on them:
Shocks & Struts: Definitely considered a safety item because they keep your tires in contact with the road. The age of the car says that of course they could be needed, but how does your car ride to you? When you hit bumps on the freeway does your steering wheel shake or jump around enough that you notice it and can tell that it's never been like that before? Any loud bumps or knocks when going over bumps? Does your nose dive noticeably when you brake? Any yes to those questions, or a general feeling of "unsteadiness" in your ride, I would say get them replaced. If you don't answer yes to any of those they very well still could need to be replaced, buuuut they probably aren't critical yet and probably no where near unsafe. You could probably get some miles out of them while you save up, or possibly stop by somewhere else later and ask them to give you their opinion, they will probably do it at no cost and if they feel another shop was trying to take you for a ride they will probably say that.
Brake Hoses: Brake hoses, unless a design flaw or very high mileage, are usually good for a long time. Are you having any braking issues? Bad brake hoses make your pedal feel squishy because they are expanding slightly when the fluid in them is forced against the brakes. Bad brake lines also leak, do you see leaks on the ground or have to add brake fluid ever? I feel like that's an odd one to "need" with out having some symptoms, but brakes are important enough I would never tell anyone with a car I haven't looked at not to worry about it. That is probably another one I would have another person look at to confirm, but I would definitley want to know what exactly is wrong with them before I just forked over $500.
Tires: I'm not a tire guy, but I have always heard that ten years is a long time for a tire even if they still have tread. Most of the time sun/weather rot kills them because cars with good tires on them sit with out being drove, but you say yours look fine... Either way, I think I would do some googling and find out what the general consensus is on tire age and when they should be replaced no matter what, I think you will find you are in the time frame that they are considered bad. Like someone mentioned above, it is insane how much control and faith we put in the tires on our vehicles, there are not many other things on a car (other than brakes) that when it catastrophically fails it is such bad news. For peace of mind I would probably advise to go ahead and get them replaced with the best all season tire you can afford. They will give you tons of miles, not to mention all season tires+4wd or AWD+half a brain=you can drive over the passes at any time they are open with no worry. The WSDOT will close the pass LONG before a modern automobile using all four wheels on good tires won't be able to drive over it.
Steering Rack: This one should be very obvious to the driver if it is in such a state of sadness that it is considered a safety hazard. Your wheel should be sloppy or your rig should be wandering all over the freeway in and out of the ruts as you wonder why you can't keep it straight for it to be that bad. It is a very important piece though, so for the sake of peace of mind I would find out exactly what is wrong with it and maybe get another opinion.
Just my opinions obviously, but cars are my thing, both for fun and work, so take it how you will. As to the shop itself, you say you have had work done there for long time, have you ever felt "up sold" before? Over the years can you think of instances where they could have "gouged" you but didn't? Like "well your brakes are getting down there, but you're just fine for another thousand miles or so..." or "That rattle you thought was a $500 part was actually a $0.50 hanger, have a nice day!"".... I think your gut probably has a pretty good feeling about it, but above all else remember its your car and there is ZERO shame in saying "thanks, I'll get back to you on that." and going and getting a second (or third) opinion.
