On the way to the Beach, Their Car Died. A Hattiesburg Mechanic Saved the Trip.

The story of a stranded traveler, a Hattiesburg mechanic who wouldn't quit, and the auto repair shop a lot of people may only think of for tires.

He was almost there. Bags packed, kids probably restless in the back, the beach getting closer with every mile... and then the car quit. Four miles from a parking lot he'd never heard of, on a trip he'd been looking forward to for weeks.

He called a shop. They told him the truth nobody wants on a travel day: a week, minimum, before anyone could even look at it. A week.

But then they did the decent thing and pointed him down the road. “Try the Lil' Tire Shoppe,” they said.

He called. The answer he got back was five words long: “Come on, we can handle it.”

That's where he met Kevin Dyar.

The Hattiesburg Mechanic Who Cares

The family was supposed to be headed to the beach.

Instead, they were stuck in Hattiesburg with a broken-down car, a vacation slipping away and no idea how long the repair might take.

That was how Kevin Dyar’s day changed.

Kevin is the part-owner and lead mechanic at Lil Tire Shoppe, with more than 15 years of experience under the hood. He had already put in a full day when the traveler’s car came through the door, but once he found the problem, he knew what it meant: either he stayed late, or a family spent the night stranded instead of waking up at the beach.

So Kevin kept working.

Closing time came and went. The front doors should have been locked, the tools put away and Kevin headed home to his own family. Instead, he stayed in the bay, working through the repair while Amy and Penny at the front desk kept the traveler and his family company.

They waited. Kevin worked. And little by little, a vacation that had nearly ended in a repair-shop parking lot was put back on the road.

They made it to the beach.

The review the traveler left afterward said it better than we could:

“Kevin Dyar saved the day and went above and beyond—even working late to get me back on the road. I can’t tell the whole staff thank you enough!”

He also made sure to recognize Amy and Penny at the front desk, who kept him and his family company while Kevin worked in the bay.

And somewhere between the coffee, conversation, and repair paperwork, he discovered something Lil Tire Shoppe regulars already know: the same family behind the tire shop also owns Lil Butcher Shoppe, home to some of the best meat and specialty grocery items in South Mississippi.

Honest repairs, people who stay late when it matters, and a butcher counter worth making another stop for.

Only in Hattiesburg.

Here's the Part That Surprises People

Ask around town and most folks file us under “tires.” Fair enough (the name's right there on the sign). But that traveler didn't break down over a flat, and Kevin didn't stay late to rotate a set of Michelins. He fixed the car because the Lil Tire Shoppe is a full-service Hattiesburg auto repair shop! The tires are just how most people meet us.

Here's what that actually means, told the way it usually shows up:

The noise you've been pretending not to hear

That grind when you brake. The soft pedal. The shimmy in the wheel on I-59. Brakes and suspension don't get better on their own, and they don't wait for a convenient week. We do complete brake service (pads, rotors, calipers) plus alignments and front-end, axle and CV work, so your car stops straight and rides smooth.

That little orange light on the dash

A check-engine light is a warning, not a verdict, and it doesn't have to be a mystery you pay to guess at. Our computerized engine diagnostics read the car's own story: sensors, misfires, electrical gremlins. We tell you what's really wrong in plain English, and fix that. Nothing you don't need.

The repair you never had to make

The cheapest fix is the one that never happens. Oil, filters, fluids, tune-ups: the routine maintenance that quietly keeps a stranded-on-the-highway story from ever starting. Quick to do, and a good chance for us to catch the small stuff before it turns into a tow.

The AC that quit in July

A Mississippi summer is no place for a broken air conditioner. We service and recharge AC systems, and handle the everyday stuff too. Batteries, belts, tire-pressure sensors, the ordinary car repair that keeps a good car dependable. It's all under one roof at 1900 Broadway Drive, so you're never bouncing between a tire shop and a “real” mechanic. And if a bigger repair sneaks up on you, ask about financing.

Why a Local Hattiesburg Mechanic Beats a Chain

Big shops rotate technicians like they rotate tires. At the Lil' Tire Shoppe, the owner is often the one under your hood (or is directly supervising), so the person accountable for the repair is the same person with their heart on the line.

“They are honest and trustworthy and I wouldn't deal with anyone else in Hattiesburg.”

Honest diagnostics instead of a guess. Tires and full auto repair in one place, so your car's history stays with people who know it. A locally owned shop that treats customers like neighbors because, four miles away and headed to the beach or four minutes from your house, they are.

Quick Questions, Straight Answers

Is the Lil' Tire Shoppe just a tire store?

No! it's a full-service auto repair shop. Brakes, engine diagnostics, oil changes, AC and general repair, led by owner and mechanic Kevin Dyar. Tires are just how most people find us.

Where are you?

1900 Broadway Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39402. Open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Can you figure out my check-engine light?

Yes. We run computerized diagnostics, find the real cause, and tell you straight what needs fixing.

Do I need an appointment?

Walk-ins are welcome, but a quick call to (601) 450-7801 gets you in and out faster.

Before Your Car Picks the Worst Possible Moment

Most breakdown stories start with something somebody ignored. Yours doesn't have to. Whether it's tires, brakes, a check-engine light, an oil change or an AC that's giving up in the heat, Kevin and the team have you covered!

Lil' Tire Shoppe Tire Pros

Address: 1900 Broadway Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39402

Phone: (601) 450-7801

Hours: Mon–Fri, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Online: Get a free quote »

Call today and let a Hattiesburg mechanic who's seen it all keep your trip on the road.