Here is what I did.

The stud portion of the snap was still connected to the strap so there was no need to remove them. The sockets of the snaps are the pieces that got torn out (this is a really crappy design BTW...not sure if it was design like a 1st grader at Infiniti that day or what)




Pic showing the studs in place




Pic of strap with the snap sockets torn out.

The snaps are an off size, std sizes seem to be line 20 and 24. These snaps are larger than 20 and smaller than 24 so this fix only applies to those of you that have the sockets that torn out and the studs are still i place. You could choose to remove the studs as well and use a standard snap size bit I didn't want to cut out a piece that didn't need repair. If down the road the fix fails and I loose the snap sockets, I can always remove the studs and do a full replacement.




Here are the snap sockets

Any way....you'll need to remove the mounting button from the snap socket. I used a 1/8" drill bit to drill out the mounting button. 1/8 is a little small so you'll need to move the drill around a bit to get them separated.

Next you'll need a line 20 button for a metal snap fastener. I bought a gun metal pack from Amazon and used just the caps


You'll also want a snap fastener




Wrap the broken strap with painters tape and pretend to snap the leather strap into the other strap like you were securing the seat belt. This will cause the studs to leave an impression on the tap with their location. Use your 1/8" drill and drill a hole in the center of each impression on the painters tape through the leather strap. Insert your snap button through the hole then the socket to the button and secure with the tool.







Good luck

 

Thanks again to rdog for the idea to just put a new cap on the existing snap. I took on this project a few weeks ago. I got the snap pliers that rdog shows in his pictures (with the blue handle) but they didn't work well, so I ended up with a snap setter from Tandy Leather (where I got everything else). I live in Houston, and we have a Tandy store in town, but you can order all of this stuff from their website.

Here is a parts list of what I bought and the steps I took:

Qty Supplier Part No. Description
1 Tandy Leather 1261-09 Line 20 snaps, stainless steel, pack of 10
1 Tandy Leather 8104-00 Heavy Duty Snap Setter Line 20/24 (use the line 20 attachment)
1 Tandy Leather 8056-00 Rivet Anvil
1 Tandy Leather 3777-01 Round Drive Punch Size 1 (3/32")

I also had a 6" x 6" piece of 5/8" thick steel plate. You'll need something flat and heavy like this to set the snaps in place. I piece of 2x4 would probably work fine.

Here are the basic steps:

1. Punch holes in the strap where the old snaps were. Use the leather punch. You'll need a hammer and a hard surface. I rested the steel plate on my leg and then laid the strap on that. I then used a hammer and the punch to punch the holes in the strap right where the snaps used to be.
2. Drill out the old snaps. Using a 1/8" drill bit, carefully drill out the center of the old snaps. I held the snap very carefully with pliers while doing this. Don't squeeze too hard or you will damage the snap.
3. Insert one of the new line 20 caps through the hole in the strap and put the old snap on the protruding post.
4. Put your flat surface (steel plate or piece of 2x4 or whatever) on your leg and put the anvil on top of the flat surface. I put some blue painters tape on the anvil to protect the snap from possible scratching. Lay the strap with the new snap cap down onto the anvil and place the setting tool on the post. Give the setting tool a couple off firm hits with the hammer to set the snap (not too hard) .
5. Repeat above for the second snap.

I'm very pleased with the results. This was a crap design by Infiniti, and I'm surprised they didn't fix it somewhere along the way. I have a 2013, and when my drivers side strap broke the first time they fixed it under warranty. It broke again and I fixed it myself. I have all the tools to fix the passenger side when it eventually tears loose.

Good luck!


Snaps. These come in a pack of 10. You will only use the caps.

Snap Setter

Anvil

Punch.

Steel plate used as a base for punching holes and setting the snaps.

Done!

Final result.

 

I used VELCRO Brand Industrial Strength Fasteners

I put the soft portion under the short loop and the hook portion under the long loop. So far it holds and no one comments on it.

Note: Make sure it says it can hold up to 10lbs. I tried regular 5lb velcro and the adhesive came off the same day.