WATCH: Australia's most frequently stolen cars revealed
Car theft on Australia's east coast is rising particularly in regional areas and data has revealed the most commonly stolen vehicles.
Car brands including Toyota, Holden and Ford are the firm favourites among thieves and stolen most frequently, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) has found.
But thieves are also targeting Kia, Jeep and Isuzu in a surprisingly sneaky new social media trend.
This comes after a crime statistics update from NSW, the nation's most populous state, found vehicle theft in regional areas was accelerating "well above" pre-pandemic levels.
BOCSAR executive director Jackie Fitzgerald said "the recent increase in vehicle theft is at least partially a bounce-back from the COVID-driven crime declines of 2020 and 2021 as pandemic restrictions eased".
The most stolen makes of car
Just three car manufacturers account for 38 per cent of stolen cars in NSW over the past year - Toyota, Holden and Ford.
But some car makes have skyrocketed in popularity with thieves over the past few years including Kia, Jeep and Land Rover, according to BOCSAR data.
Kia thefts have risen by 87.1 per cent over the past five years.
Jeep thefts were up 63.8 per cent and Land Rover thefts rose by 71 per cent over the same period.
Isuzu car thefts were up 50.8 per cent and Volkswagen thefts were up 37.3 per cent.
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The social media trend
Ms Fitzgerald said another factor driving car theft may be "young people being spurred on by social media posts encouraging vehicle thefts on TikTok".
TikTok videos and Instagram videos allegedly showing how to steal cars without push-button ignitions and immobilising anti-theft devices have enjoyed a wave of popularity.
Social media is purportedly showing how thieves start Kia and Hyundai cars with nothing more than a screwdriver and a USB cable.