The 17-year-old left her Nissan Primera parked in the Smiths City car park while working at the nearby Andersons Bay McDonalds on Sunday. She intended to move her car during her break.
However, she forgot to move the vehicle until the end of her shift at 8pm.
''I didn't notice anything because it was dark and I just felt something was wrong.''
She found windows smashed, the back seat badly damaged, two tyres slashed, panels scratched, all the petrol siphoned out and the spare wheel, the jack, seven CDs and a first aid kit stolen.
The car was covered by third party insurance, but this did not cover vandalism, and the damage would ''cost thousands to repair'', she said.
The vehicle was a gift from her father, who now lived in Australia, she said.
''It makes me very angry and upset that someone would even do this ...''
Police had checked the car for fingerprints and would be reviewing CCTV footage.
Anyone with information about the incident was urged to contact Dunedin police.
