"She was driving and the noise of the pellet hitting her car gave her such a fright she swerved."
"It's so dangerous, it could've caused an accident or caused her to lose an eye. If there were any children around, they could've lost an eye too," she said.
Her uncle's car had also been hit, but with a paintball pellet, she said.
Miss Rangi said her family weren't the only ones who had encountered the problem, and she had seen dozens of comments on Facebook reporting similar occurrences.
"It makes me furious. Young ones shouldn't have access to these kinds of things, they can do serious damage. It just makes me want to go and tell their parents to wake up."
Miss Rangi said she called the police about the issue.
Rotorua police Inspector Ed Van Den Broek said he was unaware of any such incidents.
He said police received the occasional report about BB guns, but it was rare.
Mr Van Den Broek said displaying and pointing a BB gun, or any other weapon that could be mistaken for a real pistol, was an offence.
He said the power of such weapons should not be underestimated.
"High-powered air rifles can be deadly. Any air gun, in fact, can inflict harm and needs to be used responsibly."
Rotorua Hunting and Fishing co-owner John Schuler said the store sold BB guns and air guns but several policies were in place to ensure they didn't end up in the wrong hands.
If a customer is between 16 and 18 they need to produce a valid firearms licence - if they are older they need to show valid identification like a driver's licence, he said.
A record is kept of all the air guns sold and their owner's details.
"No firearm is a toy," he said.
"They need to be used responsibly and by someone who has been educated to handle such a weapon."
He said people who owned BB guns or other air guns should keep them under lock and key.
According to the Arms Act 1983 anyone under 18 may use an airgun if they hold a New Zealand Firearms Licence or they are under the immediate supervision of a firearms licence holder or a person aged 18 or older.